The Breakfast Club
by wendydarling78
Summary: So what would have happened if Stephanie  The Princess , Joe  The Athlete , and Carlos  The Bad Boy  had all gone to high school together?  Inspired by The Breakfast Club, but much different than the movie.
1. Chapter 1

_**OK, I am a child of the 80s- big permed hair, Madonna, New Kids on the Block, Saved by the Bell, fluorescent clothes, need I continue? One of my favorite 80s movies is "The Breakfast Club." For some reason, today I started thinking about the JE characters as the main characters from that movie: **_

_**Ranger – The Bad Boy (Judd Nelson)**_

_**Morelli – The Athlete (Emilio Estevez)**_

_**Stephanie – The Princess (Molly Ringwald) Hey, Steph may not be a snob, but she's a **_

_**Jersey girl! And she's expected to be with Joe.**_

_**With that as inspiration, I started this story.**_

**Rated M just because you never know where the story will go!**

**This is totally AU. For the purposes of this story, all main characters (Joe, Ranger, Steph, their friends) are the same age. They are all 17-18 and in their senior year at Trenton High. Class of 1996. **

I was walking back to my car after the football game. The late September weather had turned a little colder than it was supposed to, and I was glad that I had thrown my jacket in the car as an afterthought. The sequined bathing suit, tights, and knee high boots that majorettes wore didn't offer a whole lot of protection from the cold. I shivered as I unlocked my 1983 Chrysler New Yorker. It was old and ugly, but it could hold tons of friends and their stuff! Besides, it was cheap and one of the only cars I could afford on my Tasty Pastry salary. Especially since my dad had refused to let me buy anything that wasn't American. That had severely limited my options at Big Al's Used Car Emporium.

A loud horn beeped beside me, and I waved at Mary Lou as she and Lenny drove past in his pickup truck. Mary Lou was practically sitting on Lenny's lap, but she spared me a quick wave before she went back to snuggling against his shoulder. I sighed. All my friends had deserted me tonight in favor of their boyfriends or dates. Maybe I really _should_ take Dickie up on his offer of a burger and fries.

I reached in to get my jacket, and suddenly I felt someone grab me from behind. I screamed as they pressed up against my back, their hands coming around to hold my hips in the front.

"Relax, Cupcake! It's just me!"

I turned my head and blushed as I recognized Joe Morelli. He was fresh from the showers, having traded in his football uniform for a pair of ass hugging jeans, a sweatshirt, and his letterman's jacket. Morelli was dark and dangerous, sinfully handsome, and rumored to have a lizard tongue. His tongue had never done any exploring on me, but his fingers had. When we were 6 years old, Joe had sweet talked me into his dad's garage under the pretext of playing "choo choo." That pretty much meant that I stood still and lifted my skirt so that his "train" could explore my "tunnel."

Joe pressed tighter against my back. "You wanna grab some pizza and beer? A group of us are heading over to my Cousin Mooch's house. His parents are out of town, and someone got a keg."

In the back of my mind, I thought that this was probably not a good idea. If my mother ever found out that I went to a keg party, she would _kill_ me! But who in their right mind says no to Joe Morelli? He was the captain of the football team and the sexiest guy in our class. Only an idiot would say no!

I nodded. "OK, but I should change first." I motioned down to my majorette outfit.

His eyes darkened. "No way. Leave it. I especially like the boots!"

I blushed and opened the trunk, tossing my duffel bag in.

Joe grabbed my keys and locked my car. "Ride with me?" he asked with a charming grin.

I pulled on my coat and nodded. Morelli led me over to his beat up pickup truck and helped me climb in. He climbed into the driver's seat, and I smiled shyly up at him. I'd had a crush on Morelli since we were 6 years old and in Kindergarten together. Now that we were almost 18 and in our Senior year, I thought that maybe he would finally notice me. Joe had always flirted with me, but that was it. He never pursued anything serious. Maybe now I'd finally get to see if the lizard tongue rumors were true!

I sat on Mooch's front porch wondering how I was going to get home. The party had been a disaster. Morelli was drunk, practically passed out on Mooch's couch. My car was still at the football field. And the high heeled white majorette boots that I was still wearing, thanks to Joe, would make walking home incredibly uncomfortable. The partygoers who were still sober had left at least an hour ago, so there was no way I could bum a ride from someone else.

Suddenly a thought popped into my mind. That's it! I'd take Joe's truck keys and drive over to the football field to get my car. Hopefully he wouldn't be too mad that I borrowed his truck. I scribbled a note on a Post-It and stuck it to Joe's forehead, fishing his truck keys out of his pants pocket. I blushed when he moaned. Pulling the keys out as fast as I could, I hopped into Joe's truck and took off for the field.

I stepped out of Joe's truck and noticed a group of guys hanging around on the edge of the parking lot. They were sitting on the hoods of a couple older muscle cars, smoking and splitting a six pack. I thought that I recognized them from school, but I couldn't be sure.

Our high school was pretty big, a combination of several area junior high schools. The kids from the Burg, my area of Trenton, had gone through school together from Kindergarten to 8th grade. Then we were combined with 3 other area schools at the huge high school- Trenton High. It had made the transition to high school interesting. Everyone was fighting to establish their place in the new social pecking order. The populars from each area fought to be the most popular at the new school. Those who were the bad boys at their old school fought to be the worst at the new school. Most of the rest us, myself included, just kind of fell somewhere in the middle. This group looked like they belonged in the bad boy crowd.

They silently observed me as I climbed out of Joe's truck, leaving his keys under the front seat. I hoped they didn't steal his truck! That would probably ruin any chance I had with him! I walked quickly over to my car and unlocked it. Climbing in the front seat, I nervously relocked the doors. I let out a deep breath and shoved the key into the ignition. I turned the key. I heard a clicking sound and that was it. I tried again. Click, click, click, click.

I lowered my head to the steering wheel and softly banged my head against it. I let out a groan. Damn it! How was I going to get home? As it was, I was almost past my curfew. There was no way that I could drive Joe's truck to my house. The Burg gossip mill would go crazy if it was parked in my drive over night. Plus my parents would want to know how I ended up with Morelli's keys. After the whole choo choo incident, my mother wasn't overly fond of Joe, understandably. My father didn't know about it. If he did, Joe would be dead. He just despised him based on the Morelli man reputation- drunken, abusive womanizers. I was pretty sure that he would not be in favor of me dating Joe.

I jumped and let out a yelp when a knock sounded sharply on my window. Looking up, I saw someone standing by my car. He had on a tight black shirt and a black leather jacket. His skin was dark. So were his eyes. His hair was brown and silky, hanging down to his shoulders. I thought Joe was dark and dangerous, but this guy was even darker and more dangerous looking.

I took a deep breath. He motioned for me to roll down my window, so I did, cracking it just about an inch. He smirked when he saw that that was all the further I was going to put it down. "You got a problem, Babe?" he asked, crossing his arms across his chest.

I took another deep breath. "My car won't start." I admitted. I wasn't sure if that was wise or not. Was this guy planning on hurting me?

"Let me take a look?" he asked.

I hesitated, and he shook his head. "Would you rather sit here all night?"

I blew out a deep sigh. He was right. _Here goes nothing_ I thought as I climbed out. He reached out a hand to help me out of the car. I grabbed it and felt a jolt of electricity as he pulled me out of the car. I looked up into his face, shocked, and found him looking back at me. From his wide eyes, I was guessing that he had felt the spark, too.

His friends sauntered over as he climbed into the car. I gasped as I looked up and saw that one of them had a flaming skull tattooed on his forehead. He grinned when he saw me staring at it. "Like it?" he asked smoothly.

I nodded.

He grinned even wider then. "My dad's a preacher. Got this the day I turned 18. It was the only thing I could think of to get out of going to church every Sunday."

I started laughing hysterically. I couldn't help myself. I wiped tears from my eyes and looked up at him. "I turn 18 next month. Wanna take me to get a matching one? Maybe it'll get me out of weekly mass with my mom and grandma!"

He let out a huge guffaw and one of the other guys wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "You don't want to match this ugly guy, Beautiful! But if you want a tattoo, I'd be happy to take you. I'll even give you some free advice about what to get and where to put it." He wagged his eyebrows up and down at me.

I grinned and slugged his shoulder. "Maybe I'll take you up on that." I teased.

"Anytime, Beautiful. When's your birthday again?"

"October 12th."

"It's a date!" he grinned at me.

My tall, dark, and handsome car mechanic climbed out of my car. He glared when he saw his friend's arm around my shoulder, and his friend quickly removed it. He walked over and stood in front of me. "It's dead, Babe. Any idea what happened?"

I groaned and buried my face in my hands. "Yeah. My trunk light doesn't always shut off. When I threw my bag in the trunk earlier, I was distracted. It probably stayed on the whole time I was gone."

"Want me to jump you, Babe?"

I uncovered my face and my jaw dropped open. "What?" I squeaked, my eyes nearly popping out of my head.

The whole group of them started laughing hysterically.

"Your _car,_ Babe. Want me to jump your _car_?" he managed to choke out.

My face flamed a bright red. Duh! I was such an idiot! I cleared my throat. "Oh! Um, yes, please. But I don't know how to hook up those cable thingies!"

He smiled and put his arm around my shoulders. "I know how to hook up those cable thingies. You'll be good to go in just a couple of minutes, OK?"

I just nodded dumbly at him. God! He was so hot!

He squeezed my shoulder, then walked over to an older black Mustang. He pulled it in front of my car and popped both hoods. Tattoo guy helped him hook up the cables, and in no time, my car was started.

Leaving my car running, he came over and stood in front of me. "Let me drive you home?" he asked, his soft brown eyes staring into my blue ones.

"Why?" I questioned softly.

"Just in case, Babe. I'd hate for you to get half way home and have more problems."

I wrinkled my forehead at him. "But then how will _you_ get home?"

He glanced over at his group. "My cousin will follow me."

The cute guy who had had his arm around my shoulder earlier nodded.

I bit my lip, unsure.

He grinned when he saw my indecision. "I promise not to attack you on the way to your house," he reassured me. "But would you feel better if Cal rode with us?" he motioned to flaming skull tattoo guy.

I shook my head. "No, it's fine. I'm just not sure what my parents will think of me coming home past curfew with a couple carloads of guys." I blushed.

His cousin grinned. "I'll park at the end of your street. How's that? Your parents will only see Carlos."

_Carlos_. So that was my rescuer's name.

I smiled in relief. "Thanks!"

Carlos took my hand and walked me over to the passenger side of my car. When he opened the door for me, his friends started whistling and catcalling. He glared at them, and the whistles turned to coughs and throat clearing.

I sat back in the seat, my heart beating double time.

He climbed in and looked over at me. I looked back at him. When I didn't say anything, he raised an eyebrow at me. I raised both of mine back at him. Finally he grinned at me. "Babe, you're going to have to give me directions. I don't know where you live."

Shit! Mental head slap! That's probably what he was waiting for, huh?

I blushed and closed my eyes. _If he weren't so freaking hot, maybe my mind wouldn't be scrambled around him!_

I heard him trying not laugh and opened my eyes to see his dancing with amusement.

"Out loud?" I groaned.

"Yeah, Babe, out loud." He grinned.

I blew out a sigh, and he took my hand. I felt the same spark I had earlier. I hoped he did, too.

I gave him directions to my house, and he drove me home, holding my hand the whole way.

He pulled into the driveway, and my mom opened the front door. "Stephanie Michelle Plum…" she started, but gasped when she saw Carlos climb out of the driver's seat of my car.

My dad poked his head out behind her and saw Carlos. He glared at him and then looked over at me. "Pumpkin, what's going on?" he asked in his gruff voice.

"My battery died after the game. Carlos jump started it for me, and offered to drive me home in case it gave me any more trouble." I explained.

My mom was still staring at Carlos suspiciously, but dad looked over at him and nodded. He stuck out his hand. "Frank Plum." Carlos shook his hand. "Carlos Manoso. Nice to meet you, sir."

"I appreciate your helping out my little girl. You got a ride home, son?"

Carlos nodded. "My cousin followed us. He's waiting at the end of the block." He gestured to the black Mustang.

My dad turned and pushed my mother through the door. "Five minutes, Stephanie." He ordered and closed the front door. I could hear my mother protesting on the other side.

Carlos grinned at me and raised my hand, kissing my palm. "I guess I'll see you around, Stephanie."

I nodded, and he walked down off the porch and jogged back to his cousin's car.

"I hope so." I whispered.

_**TBC**_

_**So what do you think? Worth continuing? **_


	2. Chapter 2

I opened the door, feeling like I was floating. Unfortunately for me, my mother was determined to bring me crashing back to reality.

"Stephanie, who was that boy?" she asked in a stern voice.

"I told you, mom. His name is Carlos. He helped me get my car started."

"How do you know him? Where is he from?" she continued.

"He goes to Trenton High with me. I don't know where he lives." I was getting exasperated with her questioning. I headed towards the stairs. "I'm gonna go wash my face. Good night!"

I started up the steps, and I could hear my parents talking in lowered voices in the living room. I paused so that I could hear what they were saying.

"But, Frank! He's not from the Burg! Who knows what kind of family he comes from. What will the neighbors think?"

"Helen, calm down. He started her car. They're not engaged! For all you know, she'll never even speak to him again!"

My stomach fluttered at that remark. I certainly _hoped_ that I got to speak to Carlos again!

My mom sighed. "You're right. I wonder what happened to that nice Dickie boy she was dating. Did you know that he wants to go to law school? Now that would be a good match for Stephanie! Not that Carlos person. Carlos. Hmmm…. Do you think he's Puerto Rican? Mexican?"

"I don't know, Helen. What difference does it make? Like I said, she'll probably never see him again anyhow."

Their discussion drifted off, and I could hear them turning off lights and locking doors, getting ready for bed.

I ran for the bathroom and quickly washed my face and brushed my teeth before racing back to my room. I pulled on my pajamas and flopped into bed. I laid there for a long time before finally falling to sleep. I had wonderful dreams of Carlos.

R&S R&S R&S R&S

My mother woke me up early Saturday morning. She was banging dresser drawers open and closed and putting away stacks of my laundry.

"Mom!" I moaned. "What are you doing?" I had been doing my own laundry since I was twelve. What on Earth had possessed her to not only wash, dry, and fold all of my laundry but also put it away?

"We need to talk about that boy." She started.

"What boy?" I asked sleepily.

"That boy who drove you home last night." She said, exasperated.

"His name is Carlos." I yawned.

"Alright then. Carlos. We need to talk about Carlos."

I sat up and rubbed my eyes, looking at the clock. 7:00! I groaned and lay back down. "What about him?"

"You need to be careful about who you're seen associating with, Stephanie. If you want to end up dating any respectable Burg boy, you can't be seen hanging around with boys like that Carlos."

"What do you mean? _Boys like that Carlos_?" I asked indignantly.

"He looks like trouble, Stephanie. If you keep hanging around him, you're going to get a _reputation_."

"Well, he was certainly a lot of trouble last night." I shot back.

My mom looked at me in shock. "Was he inappropriate with you?" she exclaimed.

I huffed out a sigh. "No, mom! I was being sarcastic! If he's such a bad boy, so much trouble, then why would he have helped me last night? He didn't have to jump my car. He certainly didn't have to drive me home to make sure that I got here OK."

My mom narrowed her eyes. "Fine, fine. That was very nice of him. Just make sure you stay away from him, Stephanie. I've already had three phone calls this morning asking who the strange boy was on our front porch last night."

I sighed. "Just because he's not from the Burg doesn't make him inferior, mom!"

My mother huffed and walked out of my room.

I looked at the clock again and sighed. I had to be at work in a little bit. I could have slept longer, but thanks to my mom I was already awake. I might as well get up and get ready. I rolled out of bed and took my shower. I was still half in a daze as I flipped my hair upside down and worked the mousse through my crazy curls. I finished up my makeup and tried to run out the door without getting stopped by my parents.

"Bye, mom! Bye, dad! See you after work!" I called as I made for the door.

"Stephanie! Get in here and eat breakfast!" my mom hollered from the kitchen.

"Mom! I work in a bakery! I'm surrounded by doughnuts, danishes, and 85 other breakfast foods! I'll eat when I get there!"

She sighed but finally agreed to let me out the door without a proper Burg breakfast.

R&S R&S R&S R&S

I filled all of the trays in the display case and restocked boxes and waxed paper up front. Several hours flew by as I waited on a never ending line of people. At least the day went by quickly when we were busy, and the work didn't require me to think too hard. I could grab doughnuts and daydream all at the same time. Several of those stray thoughts were about Carlos. What was I doing? I had just met the guy yesterday! I tried to push him out of my mind, but then I thought about the spark I had felt when he held my hand, and I felt a fluttering in my stomach.

The lines had finally died down, and I was working on restocking the pastry cases when Dickie Orr walked into the bakery. He smiled when he saw me, and I waved back. I walked over and rested my arms on top of the counter. "Hey, Dickie! What can I get you?" I asked.

"Actually, I was looking for _you_."

I blushed. "Really? What for?"

"Well, I asked you about Homecoming a while ago, and you never gave me an answer. What do you say? Will you go with me? My dad said we could take his BMW." He smiled charmingly at me.

I felt kind of guilty leaving Dickie waiting for so long. If I would have said no right away, he could have asked someone else. If I said no now, he probably wouldn't be able to find anyone to go with and neither would I! Burg girls took formal and semi-formal events seriously. They scouted out dresses, shoes, and dates far in advance. In fact, my mother and I had bought my dress and shoes this summer. Before I even had a date!

I thought of Carlos. Would he be going to Homecoming? He was drop dead gorgeous. Surely he already had a date if he wanted one. But something told me that he wasn't the kind of guy to do school dances.

I looked up at Dickie and nodded. "I'd like that." I smiled. And I meant it. For the most part. Dickie could be a little arrogant, but he was a nice guy. We had dated a few times, and it was always fun.

He gave me a winning smile in return. "Then it's a date. Let me know what color your dress is so I can get a tie and your corsage."

I smiled and nodded, and Dickie strode out of the bakery.

By the time my shift finished up, I was exhausted. I had gotten in late last night, laid awake for hours before falling asleep, and then got up early this morning. I was ready to go home, eat dinner, and collapse on the couch in front of the TV.

Instead, I found Dickie waiting for me at home. He was sitting at the kitchen table talking with my mom while she mashed a small pot of potatoes. I plastered on a fake smile. I liked Dickie. I really did, but I had a feeling that whatever he wanted was going to put a crimp in my plans for a relaxing evening. "Hi, Dickie! What brings you over?"

My mom turned to me, absolutely beaming. "Dickie says that you guys are going to Homecoming together."

I nodded. "Yep."

Dickie smiled. "I thought maybe we could go out for dinner and a movie tonight. You have any plans?"

I shook my head no. "Just let me go upstairs and change?" I asked.

Dickie nodded. "Of course."

I took a second to look over Dickie's outfit. He was wearing jeans and a nice sweater. It looked like we weren't going anywhere too fancy. Maybe Pino's.

I pulled on a pair of leggings and a long, oversized sweatshirt. I fluffed my hair and added another coat of mascara and lip gloss. I misted the air with perfume and stepped through it. Voila! I was ready to go!

I skipped down the steps and grabbed my jacket and purse off the hook by the door. Dickie was waiting for me. We said goodbye to my parents and headed out to the car.

As I had thought, we headed to Pino's. Dinner was nice, although Dickie did most of the talking. I knew all about his plans to attend Rutgers next fall. He was going to major in political science and then apply to law school. He was hoping to end up in politics at some point in the future. He never asked what I wanted to do. I probably should have been insulted, but I decided that it didn't really matter since I didn't really have long range plans like Dickie did. Right now my future plans mostly consisted of finishing homework and getting enough sleep to get up for work in the morning. My long range future plans were to graduate high school this spring. What can I say? I'm not a big planner.

After dinner, Dickie suggested that we go to a movie. I really just wanted to go home. Dickie was an OK guy, but there was just no zing there. Like there was with Carlos. Yikes! Stop it, Stephanie! I ordered myself. You don't know if there's a zing between you and Carlos. You only met him last night. You barely spent an hour together. The guy might be a total creep; you don't know! Besides, my mother would have a coronary if she knew that I was thinking about Carlos while I was on a date with Dickie.

When we got to the movies, Dickie read off the titles of the movies that were playing and looked over in my direction.

"Anything but a horror movie. I'm a big chicken!" I replied.

Dickie smiled and handed me a twenty. "Would you go and get us some popcorn and drinks while I buy the tickets?"

"Sure." I answered, grabbing the cash and heading off to stand in line. I met up with Dickie once I had the snacks and he had the tickets.

"So what did you choose?" I asked, trying to get a look at the tickets.

He grinned and flipped them over. "It'll be a surprise." He teased.

I tried to look at the title over the door we walked through, but Dickie chuckled and covered my eyes. The theater was pretty empty, so we had our pick of seats. Dickie walked all the way to the back of the theater. "Are you sure you don't want to move up a few rows?" I asked. "We'll be able to see better."

Dickie shook his head. "I like to sit all the way in the back."

I shrugged. "OK." I agreed.

We sat down and munched on our popcorn, waiting for the movie to start. Pretty soon the lights dimmed and the previews started. I was getting anxious to see what movie Dickie had picked for us. I was guessing it was probably the comedy that had come out a few weeks ago. I couldn't see Dickie picking the love story or kids' movie that had also started at the same time.

When the title came across the screen, I froze with my hand in the container of popcorn. It was the horror movie. I had _specifically_ asked him not to pick that! I looked over at him, and he didn't seem to be fazed in the least.

"Dickie!" I hissed.

He looked over at me. "Yeah?"

"I asked you not to pick the horror movie! I really don't like them!" In fact, I was starting to feel panicky already.

Dickie just rolled his eyes at me. "It's just a movie, Steph! I didn't really think you meant it!" He grinned at me. "Would you feel safer if I put my arm around you?"

I clenched my jaw and shook my head no. I was seriously debating walking into the lobby and calling my dad to come and get me. I took a few deep breaths. Calm down, Steph. Maybe he really thought you were kidding about the movie. Besides, mom will kill you if you walk out on a date with Dickie.

I handed the popcorn over to him. The chances of me being able to eat anything during this movie weren't good. And that was saying something because I loved to eat. Especially junk food.

About 20 minutes into the movie, I was sitting with my hands covering my eyes. Dickie had evidently decided to play the part of the big, bad, protective date. He had ditched the popcorn and had one arm wrapped around my shoulder while the other held my hand.

He began rubbing circles on my hand and then my leg, where our hands were resting. Pretty soon he began rubbing my leg, moving just an inch or two higher. I looked over at him, but his gaze was firmly locked on the screen. He moved his hand up higher again, and now it was under my oversized sweatshirt. When I turned this time, Dickie caught my lips in a kiss. His lips pressed firmly against mine, and his tongue demanded entrance to my mouth. I gasped, surprised, and he slid his tongue into my mouth.

While I had been focused on his surprise kiss, Dickie had been focused on getting his hand under my bra. I felt him pinch my nipple between two fingers, and I cried out, but his mouth swallowed the sound. I tried to pull my head back from his kiss, but he had his hand tangled firmly in my curls, anchoring us together.

His hand travelled over to explore my other breast, and I put both of my hands on his chest. Pushing firmly, I was finally able to get him to move back. He looked down at me, his face holding a mixture of confusion and annoyance. "What, Steph?" he asked.

I pushed his hand off of my breast. "I am not doing this!" I hissed at him.

He nodded. "You want to go park at the field instead?"

He really was an idiot. "No, Dickie. I didn't mean I wanted to make out somewhere _else_. I meant I didn't want to do it _at all_."

The confusion completely left his face, and now his look was one of pure annoyance. "Well, you could have told me that before I wasted my time, Steph. I certainly hope you plan on changing your attitude before Homecoming."

I felt like he had just dumped a glass of ice water on me. Was he really telling me that he viewed any date that ended without sex, or at least heavy petting, as a waste of time? And that if I was his date for Homecoming I'd better be willing to put out? God, what a jerk!

I readjusted my bra and shirt and stood up, grabbing my purse and coat. "I'll find my own ride home." I snapped at him.

"Steph, wait!" he pleaded, but I kept on walking.

He followed me out of the theater and into the lobby, which housed a huge arcade. This was a popular hangout for the guys from school. I scanned the crowd, looking for someone I knew. Someone who could give me a ride home. Eddie and Carl hung out here a lot. Unfortunately, not tonight.

Dickie came up behind me. He grabbed my arm and whirled me around. "Stephanie, stop acting like a child! I'll drive you home. Let's go."

I wrenched my arm free. "I don't _want_ you to drive me home! I don't _trust_ you to drive me home!" I spat out.

Dickie looked over my head and got a funny look on his face seconds before I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around and looked into the deep brown eyes of Carlos Manoso. "Everything OK, Babe?" he asked calmly.

I blushed. "Um, actually, I need a ride home again."

Before he could answer me, Dickie interrupted in a biting tone. "Everything is just fine. I'm Stephanie's date for tonight, and I'll make sure that she gets home."

I looked at Carlos with wide eyes, and he put his arm around my shoulder. "She doesn't seem to want you to take her. Why don't you run along? I'll make sure that she gets home."

Dickie glared at me. "Stephanie, let's go!"

I shook my head. "Carlos can give me a ride home."

"You've got to be kidding me!" he said contemptuously. "You're going to let this guy drive you home? Even if you do manage to make it there in one piece, your mother will kill you once you get there!" He was right, and I knew it. I just didn't care right then. There was no way in hell that I was going to let Dickie drive me home tonight. Or any night.

"Good night, Dickie!" I turned and Carlos kept his arm around my shoulder, guiding me away from him.

He led us over to a bench in the corner and sat us down.

I gave him a watery smile. "You're two for two, Carlos!" I kidded.

He raised an eyebrow at me. "You've rescued me two times in two days. It's like you're Superman!"

He chuckled at that. "I'm a little too dark to be Superman, Babe."

"Batman, then." I retorted. "My Dark Knight!"

He just shook his head. "Want to tell me what happened with your date, Babe?"

I blushed. "Not really."

A strange look crossed his face. "Did he hurt you?"

I shook my head. "No. He just wanted a little more than I was willing to give."

A look of comprehension dawned on his face. He picked up my hands in his, rubbing his thumbs across the backs of them. "But you're OK? He didn't hurt you?"

I smiled. "I'm fine. I walked out of the movie theater hoping to find one of my guy friends out here who would give me a ride home."

He grinned at me. "And instead you found me."

I grinned back. "My very own Batman!"

He laughed and shook his head. "Are you in a hurry to get home, Babe? Or do you want to hang out with us for a while?"

"Us?" I asked, looking around.

He motioned towards the snack bar. "The guys are just getting snacks for the movie."

"What movie?" I asked warily.

"The new action film."

I nodded happily. "OK. But I don't have a ticket. I'll have to go get one."

Carlos just raised an eyebrow at me. "Babe. Just use your stub to get back and hop theaters."

I gasped. "But what if I get caught?"

He grinned. "You won't get caught, Babe. Trust me. I do it all the time. They never check your ticket past the stand."

I bit my lip nervously, and he shook his head. "Give me your stub."

I handed it to him, and he handed me his ticket. "There. Now I'll be the one who would get caught. Feel better?"

I grinned at him. "Thanks, Batman!"

He chuckled and pulled me up. "Anytime, Babe."

We walked over to where his friends were waiting. I noticed several of them nudging each other and grinning. "Guys, this is Stephanie. Stephanie, the guys. Cal, Lester, Tank, and Bobby."

I smiled and gave them all a finger wave.

Lester grinned back and threw his arms around me. "Beautiful! Sit by me, and I'll share my popcorn!" He wagged his eyebrows up and down.

Carlos glared at him. "Go find us some seats. Stephanie and I will be right in as soon as we get our _own_ popcorn."

I tried not to laugh at Lester's mock hurt face. He winked at me and followed the rest of the group back to the theater.

Carlos bought us drinks and a huge tub of popcorn. We walked back to the stand and he flashed my stub. "Just getting some snacks" he said smoothly. The boy at the stand nodded, bored, and ripped my ticket in half, motioning us through.

Carlos grinned at me. "Told ya, Babe!"

I rolled my eyes at him, and his grin got wider. "This way." He motioned with his head.

We walked in the theater and looked around for his group of friends. They were sitting in the middle of the theater. See? Some people knew where the good seats were! His friends had left two open seats right in the middle of their row. Carlos's cousin Lester was on one side of the open space, and Tank was on the other. Tank was big, black, and a little scary looking. It was easy to see where he got his nickname. Well, I assumed it was a nickname. No one would really name their kid Tank, would they?

Carlos motioned for me to slide in first, so I scooted in and sat next to Lester. He grinned at me. "I knew you couldn't resist my popcorn, Beautiful!"

Carlos glared at him then looked at me. "Want to trade seats, Babe?" he asked.

I laughed. "No, I'm fine."

Bobby leaned over from the other side of Lester and punched him on the arm. "Loud mouth here is all talk. He's perfectly harmless." He assured me.

I grinned and nodded. Cal leaned around from the other side of Tank to grin and wave at me. "Your tattoo is looking especially good tonight, Cal!" I teased.

He laughed. "Still want a matching one next month?"

I smiled. "Absolutely!"

Carlos raised an eyebrow and looked at me. "Next month?"

"I turn 18 next month. Cal told me why he got his tattoo, and it sounded like a good idea. I thought it might get me out of a couple weeks of mass at least!"

Carlos gave me a wide grin, and I'm pretty sure that my entire body melted. He rubbed his finger across my forehead. "You don't want a tattoo like Cal's, Babe. Your face is perfect just the way it is."

OK, now I was a puddle of goo in his hands! I blushed and looked down, not sure what to say.

Thankfully, the lights dimmed just then, and I was saved from having to come up with a reply. When the movie title flashed across the screen, I thought back to my earlier date with Dickie. Would Carlos have done something that sneaky? Would he buy tickets to a horror movie after I asked him not to? Would he try to hide what movie we were going to see? Would he try to grope me in the middle of the theater? A flash of heat went through my stomach and settled low in my belly. Hmmm…. Would I have minded if _Carlos_ had been the one to rub my leg and work his way up my sweatshirt? I shook my head and refused to let myself explore that idea any further!

Carlos and I shared the giant tub of popcorn that he had bought. Each time my hand brushed his, I felt like doing a little happy dance. Touching him made my hand and neck tingle and my stomach flutter. I reached in for another handful, and so did Carlos. This time, instead of grabbing any popcorn, he trailed his finger across my hand and up to my wrist. I bit my lip and looked over at him. His eyes met mine, and we stared at each other for what felt like a half hour.

I jumped and pulled my hand back when the sound of gunfire exploded from the speakers. Carlos smiled and draped his arm around my neck, gently squeezing my shoulder. I have no idea what happened for the rest of the movie. If someone gave me a pop quiz on it, I would fail. If they asked for my recommendation, I couldn't tell them anything. For all I know, every single main character died and the world was taken over by aliens. The only thing I remember is that Carlos had his arm around me for the entire movie.

The guys starting shifting around in their seats, and I was disappointed to see that the credits were rolling. Carlos squeezed my shoulder one last time, then moved his arm and stood up. He grinned down at me. "Ready to go, Babe?'

I nodded and stood up, too.

"When's your curfew?" he asked, stretching.

"Usually midnight. Why?"

"We were thinking about grabbing a burger and fries somewhere before heading home. Sound good?"

I checked my watch as we walked into the lobby. It was only 10:00. "Well, I ate dinner before the movies, but maybe I could get dessert or something. Actually, a chocolate milkshake sounds really good! Are you sure you don't mind me crashing your evening?"

Cal patted my back. "No way. Besides we all drove together. You're stuck with all of us anyway. Either we all go out to eat or we all drop you off."

My forehead wrinkled at that. "Will you guys have enough room for me?"

Lester wrapped his arm around my neck, teasingly yanking me towards him. "Sure! And if we don't, you can sit on my lap!"

I laughed. "That'd be real safe!"

He grinned at me. "I'll seat belt you in on top of me. You won't be going anywhere, Beautiful!"

Tank and Carlos smacked him on the back of the head at the same time, and Carlos grabbed my hand, pulling me away from Lester. He wrapped an arm around my waist. "You'll fit, Babe." He reassured me. "And if you don't, we'll put loud mouth in the trunk."

Lester stopped walking, hands on his hips and a pissy look on his face. "Well, I never!" he huffed.

I giggled, and he turned and winked at me.

We walked through the arcade, and I noticed Eddie and Carl playing on one of the machines. They saw me just as I saw them, and I watched their eyebrows shoot up and their eyes get wide as they took in Carlos's arm around my waist and the group of guys surrounding me.

They both walked over to us. "Everything OK, Steph?" Eddie asked, eyeing the guys suspiciously.

"Yeah, fine." I answered. "Guys, these are my friends Eddie and Carl. Eddie and Carl, this is Cal, Tank, Bobby, Lester, and Carlos. The guys all sized each other up and nodded at one another.

"You need a ride home?" Carl asked.

"Carlos is giving me a ride, thanks." I answered.

Eddie looked at me strangely. "I thought Shirley said that you and Dickie had a date tonight?" Eddie was dating my cousin, Shirley-the-Whiner.

I blushed. Damn the stupid Burg grapevine! "We did."

"So where is he?" Eddie asked.

"He left."

Eddie quirked a brow at me. "Why?"

I let out a sigh. "He wanted me to say yes, and I kept saying no."

Eddie and Carl glared. "You OK?" Carl asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. I walked out of the theater and ran into Carlos. He offered to let me hang out with him and the guys and then give me a ride home."

Eddie sized up Carlos one more time. "You'll make sure she gets home safely?" he asked.

Carlos nodded. "Absolutely."

Eddie reached over and patted my shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow, Steph." I knew that was his way of letting Carlos know that he was going to check in with me in the morning.

I grinned at him. "See you tomorrow, Eddie."

We headed for the parking lot.

R&S R&S R&S R&S

We stood in a clump looking at Bobby's car. He drove an old Celebrity, which had a bench seat in the front and one in the back. The guys were trying to determine how we were all going to fit. The back seat was slightly larger than the front seat, but I still wasn't sure how three of these guys had fit in the back seat to begin with. They were _huge_. Not fat, just broad shouldered and muscular. Obviously the only way that three people were going to fit in the front seat was if I sat in the middle.

As kids, Valerie, Mary Lou, and I had always argued over who had to sit in the middle. Because of the bump on the floor, we called that seat the hump seat. No one ever wanted to sit there because there was never any leg room. In this case, I was willing to make the sacrifice! Hopefully one of the people sandwiched in on my other side would be Carlos!

The guys were still debating when I volunteered. "I'll sit in the middle up front if you want."

Bobby nodded, and I climbed in with Carlos right behind me. I fastened my seat belt, and he put his arm around my shoulder, pulling me next to him. "We don't want to crowd the driver." He grinned.

Tank, Lester, and Cal crammed themselves into the backseat, and I swear I felt the nose of the car tip up. There was no need for them to put on seatbelts. They weren't going anywhere! As it was, they could barely get the doors to close. As soon as they had gotten them shut, they had locked them to prevent them from springing back open.

Bobby headed for a little dive restaurant on the other side of town. The music was loud, the tables were worn, and the food was cheap. We slid into a huge round booth. It was supposed to seat 8 adults comfortably. Evidently that was the equivalent of 5 of Carlos's group plus me because we fit fine, but there wasn't an inch of extra space.

Some of the other customers eyed us curiously. We probably did make an unusual sight. Our table was made up of Tank, who looked like a huge black linebacker; Lester, who was a muscular Latino; Bobby, who was about 50 pounds and a shade lighter than Tank; Carlos, who was a ripped Latino sex god; Cal, a 6' 5" white boy with a flaming skull tattooed on his forehead; and me, the little white girl from the Burg.

Before the waitress came over to take our order, I dug through my purse. I didn't get paid until next week, and I still had to make my car and insurance payments for the month. Plus my car had only a quarter tank of gas. I found five dollars and some change in my wallet. That decided it. I folded my menu closed and shoved it to the middle of the table.

The waitress looked over at me "And for you, dear?"

"Just a water for me, please."

She nodded and kept taking drink orders. "I'll be back with your drinks and to take your order in just a minute." She shuffled off to the kitchen.

Bobby smiled from across the table. "The chocolate milkshakes here are awesome!"

I wiped an imaginary spot off of the table. "I think I'll pass for tonight. I already ate dinner before the movies, and then I had all that popcorn…."

Carlos looked over at me. "I thought you were going to have a milkshake or dessert while we all had dinner?"

I blushed. "Well, I don't get paid until next week. I've only got a few dollars left, and that'll have to be gas money. My car's almost on E."

Carlos wrapped an arm around my neck and kissed the top of my head. "My treat, Babe." He offered.

I shook my head. "I can't do that! If anything, _I_ should be buying _you guys_ dinner! This is the second night in a row that I've interrupted your evening. Maybe once I get paid." I offered.

Carlos grinned. "When you get paid we'll let you treat to pizza, but tonight is on me. How's that sound?"

I bit my lip. "You're sure?"

"I insist."

I smiled and nodded. "OK."

The guys relaxed then, and I noticed them all smiling at Carlos and me.

R&S R&S R&S R&S

Bobby was right! The chocolate milkshake was to die for! I was glad that I had let Carlos buy one for me, even though I felt a little guilty about it. The waitress brought the checks over, and he grabbed mine before I could even touch it.

"Thanks again," I said, squeezing his arm.

He grinned back. "My pleasure."

Carlos put his hands behind his head and stretched out. "What are your plans for tomorrow, Babe?"

I shrugged. "Just work and homework, why?"

He gave me a killer grin. "Just wanted to know where to turn up to rescue you."

I choked on my last sip of chocolate milkshake and started laughing. I punched Carlos lightly on the arm. "The Tasty Pastry!" I laughed.

He mussed my hair. "I'll be there!" He winked.

We all trooped out to Bobby's car and crammed ourselves in. I was pretty sure that Tank was sitting sideways, with only one cheek on the seat. "Next time we take my van." He grumbled.

I giggled and snuggled into Carlos's chest. He wrapped his arms around me and dropped a kiss on my head. I sighed contentedly.

Bobby drove me home, and a feeling of dread began growing in the pit of my stomach. How was I going to explain Carlos bringing me home tonight? Especially when I had left with Dickie?

Carlos noticed when my shoulders tensed. "Something wrong, Babe?" he whispered in my ear.

I shook my head. "Just not sure how to explain tonight to my parents."

Carlos squeezed my shoulder. "Just tell them what happened, Babe. I'm sure they'll understand."

I sighed. If only it were that easy. I was pretty sure that they _wouldn't_ understand. Well, my dad might, but my mom would most definitely have something to say about the whole situation.

Bobby pulled into my driveway, and Carlos opened the door and climbed out. I could see my mother peering out from behind the drapes as he reached in and helped me out. "Here goes nothing!" I muttered as he walked me up to the porch.

_**TBC**_


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks everyone for the awesome reviews and PMs! I was surprised that so many of you love The Breakfast Club as much as I do! :) Just a reminder that this story will be different from the movie, although a detention scene with similar players is coming up!

Also, this is AU! That means that the characters may act a little different than canon! For example, Carlos is still pretty open, not so jaded by life experiences. Also, the role of Frank Plum will be played by my dad. He's a quiet guy, too, but he would never put up with the crap that Frank does! When it's important, my dad speaks up, and it's usually something worth listening to. ;)

**Chapter 3**

**Bobby drove me home, and a feeling of dread began growing in the pit of my stomach. How was I going to explain Carlos bringing me home tonight? Especially when I had left with Dickie?**

**Carlos noticed when my shoulders tensed. "Something wrong, Babe?" he whispered in my ear.**

**I shook my head. "Just not sure how to explain tonight to my parents."**

**Carlos squeezed my shoulder. "Just tell them what happened, Babe. I'm sure they'll understand."**

**I sighed. If only it were that easy. I was pretty sure that they _wouldn't_ understand. Well, my dad might, but my mom would most definitely have something to say about the whole situation. **

**Bobby pulled into my driveway, and Carlos opened the door and climbed out. I could see my mother peering out from behind the drapes as he reached in and helped me out. "Here goes nothing!" I muttered as he walked me up to the porch.**

Carlos squeezed my hand. "It'll be alright, Babe."

We climbed up the steps, and my mother opened the door. Her mouth was set in a thin line, and she glared at the both of us. "Stephanie, what is going on? Where is Dickie?"

Carlos was still holding my hand, and I squeezed his for a little courage. "I don't know where Dickie is, mom."

She ushered us into the living room. "What do you mean you don't know? The two of you were supposed to be going out for dinner and a movie."

"And we did."

"So then why isn't he with you? Why is this boy dropping you off again?"

"Because Dickie left me at the movie theater." My dad had wandered into the room in time to hear my last comment.

His brow furrowed and his eyes narrowed as he looked over at me. "Did you say that Dickie left you at the movie theater?"

I nodded.

My dad crossed his arms across his chest. "_Why_ did he leave you at the movie theater?"

"Because I asked him to." My heart was beating so fast that I was pretty sure it was going to pop right out of my chest.

My father raised his eyebrows. "And why did you ask him to leave you there?"

I bit my lip. I wasn't sure what to say. The whole thing was kind of embarrassing. How do you tell your dad that your date was trying to feel you up in the middle of the movie?

My mother let out an exasperated sigh, and my father looked between me and Carlos. "Someone had better tell me what the hell is going on around here! And right now! I want to know why that boy left you at the movie theater!" he demanded.

I took a step closer to Carlos. I knew that I hadn't done anything wrong. I knew that my dad wasn't angry at _me, _but I was still afraid to tell him what had happened. No, not afraid. Embarrassed. I swallowed, but I couldn't make my throat work. Carlos looked down at me, and I gazed back with pleading eyes.

He cleared his throat and looked at my dad. "Well, sir, it seems that Dickie was a little _forward_ with Stephanie tonight. She turned him down and walked out of the movie theater. He followed her out and offered to drive her home, but she didn't trust him to bring her home. My friends and I were there to catch a movie as well, and I happened to overhear part of the argument. I offered to bring Stephanie home, and she told Dickie that he could leave. We all watched the movie, went out for a bite to eat, and brought her home."

My dad looked like he wanted to punch something. His fists were balled up at his sides and a muscle near his jaw was jumping. "Did he touch you, Pumpkin?"

I buried my face in my hands. "I don't want to talk about it, dad!" I was absolutely mortified.

Carlos put his arm around my shoulders. "She assured me that he hadn't hurt her, sir."

"Is that true, Pumpkin?"

I nodded, my face still covered.

My father let out a sigh. "Fine. We can talk about this some other time."

I let out a relieved breath.

"I don't want to see that Dickie boy around here ever again! Do you hear me?"

I nodded.

"But Frank!" my mother interjected. "She's supposed to go to Homecoming with him! She can't cancel now! She'll never find someone else to go with!"

My dad looked at me. "You will _not_ be going out with that boy again, do you hear me? Not to Homecoming, not to dinner, not to the movies, not anywhere."

"Yes, daddy." I managed.

"But Stephanie! You already have a dress and everything!" my mom was twisting her hands, anxious.

I couldn't believe that my mom was more worried about whether or not I had a date to Homecoming than whether or not my date was a decent human being. "It's fine, mom!" I interjected.

"But it's your Senior year! You can't miss Homecoming your Senior year! You've gone the past three years!"

I blushed. "Maybe I can find someone to go with. Don't worry about it."

My mom tossed her hands up in the air. "For heaven's sake, Stephanie! Homecoming is two weeks away! Where are you going to find someone who doesn't already have a date?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know. If I can't find a date, maybe I'll just tag along with Mary Lou and Lenny. I'm sure they wouldn't mind."

My mother put her hands on her hips. "Well of all the ridiculous ideas!" she ranted. "Really, Stephanie! You're going to tag along to Homecoming with another girl and her date?"

I bit my lip. "I don't know, mom, OK? Maybe I just won't go! I can always save the dress and wear it for Prom."

My mother shook her head. "Prom is formal, Stephanie. Your dress is semi-formal."

"Maybe we can take it back?" I suggested.

My mother started rubbing her forehead. "It's been altered. It can't be returned."

I could feel tears pricking my eyes. "Sorry, mom." I whispered.

Carlos cleared his throat. "I'd be happy to take Stephanie if she needs a date."

I looked up at him with wide eyes. He would?

"You would?" my mom echoed my thoughts. I could practically see my mother's brain turning at warp speed. She didn't know whether to be upset or relieved. I knew that she would be relieved because I had a date, but this was not the charming future lawyer from the Burg that I was supposed to be going with. This date was less than my mother's ideal.

Carlos grinned at me. "Sure. Would you like to go to Homecoming with me, Stephanie?"

I gave him a watery smile back. "Yes, I would!"

My father nodded his head. "Then that's all settled."

My mother looked like she wanted to say something else, but my father herded her in the direction of the kitchen. "I'm hungry for a little snack, Helen. Would you make me a sandwich?"

Like a good little Burg wife, my mother snapped right to attention. "Of course!" she walked through the kitchen door with my father right on her heels.

When they disappeared through the door, I let out the huge breath I had been holding and collapsed into Carlos's chest. "Thanks." I whispered, wrapping my arms around his waist.

He wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his cheek on the top of my head. "No problem, Babe."

I took a step back, my arms still around his waist. "You don't really have to take me to Homecoming if you don't want to." I offered. I didn't want him to feel like he had been pressured into asking me. "If you want to ask someone else or just not go at all, I understand."

His hands rubbed up and down my back, and he grinned at me. "Oh, no! There's no backing out now! I asked you, and you said yes. You're obligated to go with me now!" he teased.

I bit my lip. "You just don't really seem like the type to go to a school dance."

"I'm not, Babe. This will be my first."

I was shocked. "You didn't even go to our Junior Prom last year?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Nope."

"Why not?"

"There's never been anyone that I wanted to ask before." He said, looking me straight in the eye.

I blushed. "You do realize that Homecoming is only two weeks away right? That doesn't give you very much time to find a suit and everything."

He cupped my face in his hands. "I have a suit. Quit trying to give me an excuse to back out. If I didn't want to go with you, I wouldn't have asked you. Now I'd better get going or the guys will kill me for making them sit scrunched up in the car all night."

I grinned and walked him back to the front door. I stood up on my tiptoes and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Good night, Batman!"

He brushed a soft kiss across my cheek. "Good night, Babe. I'll see you tomorrow at work." He winked at me and walked down the porch steps. I waved as the car backed out of the drive and chugged down the street.

I walked into the kitchen, a huge smile plastered on my face. My mother looked up and narrowed her eyes ever so slightly. She leaned over and patted my dad on the arm. "Frank, let Stephanie and I talk about what happened tonight with Dickie."

My dad nodded and stood up, walking out of the kitchen. As he walked past me, he patted my shoulder. My dad wasn't very demonstrative about his feelings, and I knew that was his version of "I love you."

I heard my dad's heavy steps move from the kitchen to the dining room and through to the living room. The old recliner protested as he flopped down into it and turned the television on.

I turned to look at my mom, curious about what her reaction to tonight's events would be. I knew that she was desperate to pair me up with a good Burg boy, but even my mother would be appalled at Dickie's behavior tonight, right?

"Now, Stephanie. What happened with Dickie at the movie theater?" she began.

My face flamed a bright red. "Like Carlos said, mom. He was a little forward."

"What happened?"

"He was rubbing my leg. Then he started kissing me, and I was so distracted that I didn't notice his hand moving up under my sweatshirt and bra. I had to push him off of me."

My mother let out a sigh. "Stephanie, sometimes boys and men have needs and they get a little carried away."

My mouth dropped open in shock. "So you want me to sleep with Dickie?"

My mother sat up straighter in her chair. "I didn't say that! Although if you were to sleep with him, I am sure that he would make an honest woman of you and propose."

I shook my head. "I can't believe this! All of my life you've preached to me about what behaviors are appropriate and what behaviors are inappropriate. Do this, don't do that. If you wear this, you'll get a reputation. If you talk to that boy, you'll get a reputation. And now you're telling me to sleep with Dickie?" The last part came out high and screechy as my disbelief mounted.

My mother placed her hands on the table and replied in a huff. "Honestly, Stephanie! Calm down! For heavens sake, I did not tell you to sleep with Dickie!"

She smoothed her hair back. "But I am saying this. I am exceptionally proud of the fact that you have been saving yourself for marriage all of these years. It is, after all, what a good girl does. But, now that you're almost 18, I think it's time that you and I had a more realistic talk about the birds and the bees than the one we had when you were 12."

I rolled my eyes at her and snorted. "Mom! I'm pretty sure I know what sex is. Insert tab A into slot B. Seriously. Not that difficult. And I know about birth control and how babies are made."

My mother narrowed her eyes at me. "Don't get flip with me, young lady. You will listen to what I have to say!"

I sat up straighter in my seat and crossed my arms over my chest. I couldn't wait to see what enlightening information mom thought she was going to drop on me. Maybe that there was no stork! Gasp!

"You are getting to an age where it might be OK to start loosening your boundaries, Stephanie. You don't want to give away the milk for free, but a little taste every now and then to get your way won't hurt. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

My mouth dropped open. "Are you telling me to use sex to get my way with boys?"

My mother sniffed. "Well you don't have to put it in such a crude way! I just mean that sometimes it can be a good bargaining chip. Especially when high stakes are involved. For instance, this whole mess with Dickie. What you should have done was play shy, coy tonight. You act embarrassed. You tell him that you've never done something like this before. You really like him, but you're just scared. You hint that maybe he could help you to feel more comfortable about trying these kinds of things. Then each time you let him go just a little bit further before you ask him to stop. It becomes a challenge to him, and guys like a good challenge."

"So you want me to be a tease." I stated dryly.

My mother continued on as if I hadn't said a thing. "And by the time Prom comes around, he would be willing to propose so that you would…" she fluttered her hand around in the air meaningfully.

"Sleep with him." I supplied.

"Well, yes." My mother admitted.

"So you're saying that I should let my date feel me up a little further every week or so until he wants sex so bad that he's willing to marry me to get it."

My mother looked a little annoyed with my summary. "Well, basically." She admitted.

I looked at her thoughtfully. "Well, Carlos has brought me home twice now. And Homecoming is two weeks away. I'll probably see him a few more times at least before that. So how far do you think I should let him go that night?" I knew I was being a gigantic smartass, but I just couldn't take it anymore.

My mother slammed the palms of her hands down on the table and stood up. "Stephanie Michelle Plum!" she raged. "You will not do _anything_ with that boy! This advice is meant to help you land a good husband, not some foreigner from the wrong side of the tracks!"

I slammed my hands down and stood up, too. "Well, I don't appreciate your advice! I'm 17 for crying out loud! I still have a whole year of high school to go! I'm not even thinking about getting married right now! Maybe I want to go to college. Did you ever think about that? Maybe I don't want to get married weeks after graduation and start popping out babies nine months later! Geesh!"

My mother stuck her hand on her hip. "There's no reason why you and Dickie couldn't have gotten married and then gone away to college together. You could have kept house for him, supported him while he worked his way through law school."

I threw my hands up. "You've obviously given this a lot of thought mom. Sorry to spoil your plans, but I'm not a big fan of arranged marriages!"

"Sometimes parents know what their children need better than the children do." My mother replied, glaring at me.

"And sometimes they don't!" I retorted.

"Mark my words, Stephanie. If you keep hanging around with that Carlos person, you are going to end up in trouble. And one day you'll look back on this conversation and realize I was right. You'll wish that you had taken my advice and tried to work things out with Dickie. But it will be too late."

"Highly unlikely." I ground out.

My mother softened her tone. "Stephanie, be reasonable. Look at the family Dickie comes from. They're wealthy, well-respected members of the community. You would be well taken care of for the rest of your life. All you have to do is call him. Apologize for overreacting. Tell him that you were just nervous. Invite him over to dinner tomorrow night. We'll work everything out with your dad."

I took a deep breath. "Mom, I don't want to date Dickie. It wasn't even just the groping that made me uncomfortable around him. It was the way he acted all night. He didn't take my feelings or requests into account all night long. He talked about himself all during dinner. He picked a movie I didn't want to see and then tried to hide it. He was sneaky about putting his hand up my shirt, and then when I asked him to stop, he was nasty. He wasn't understanding. He wasn't apologetic. He was downright rude. Why would I want to be with someone like that for the rest of my life?"

"Sometimes you have to put up with the bad traits too, Stephanie." My mom reminded me.

"I know that, mom, but I shouldn't have to be miserable for the rest of my life either."

My mom let out a big breath. "No, you shouldn't."

That was as close as my mom was going to come to admitting defeat, and I knew it. I walked towards the door. "I'm going to do some homework, then I'm headed to bed."

"Good night, Stephanie."

"Night, mom."

I walked out of the kitchen, through the dining room, and into the living room. I stepped over to my dad's chair and give him a kiss on the cheek. "Night, dad."

"Night, Pumpkin. Everything OK with you and your mother?"

I sighed. "As OK as it ever is."

He nodded. "Your friend Carlos seems like a nice boy."

I smiled. "Yeah, he does, doesn't he?"

_**TBC**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks for all of the PMs and reviews! They really make my day! EternityLoveHope asked if I was planning on doing the whole story from Stephanie's POV. She thought it would be nice to see some other POVs. I told her that I was originally going to do Carlos's take on their first meeting, but I wasn't sure that I could do it justice. She encouraged me to try, so here is my attempt at Carlos's POV of Friday night! ;)**

Carlos's POV

I strolled out of the football game with the guys and headed towards our cars. Our group didn't really care about sports. We didn't play sports, didn't watch sports. We didn't really care whether our team won or lost. We just came to the games to see and be seen. This was where everyone was on a Friday night, so it's where we were, too.

We stood around bullshitting, and I watched a group walk through the gate and head towards their cars. They stopped in the middle of the parking lot and paired off, couples headed out for burgers, bowling, or pizza. I watched as one girl walked by herself to her car. I couldn't see her face from here, but her body was smokin' hot. She was a majorette, so her long slim legs were covered only by thin tights. I trailed my gaze up and down, from the tops of her white boots to where the sequins started on her hip. She had a slim waist, and her hips flared out just enough to give her body a soft curve.

My cousin, Lester, nudged me. "See something you like?" he smirked.

"Shut up, Santos!" I barked at him.

She waved to a couple carloads of friends. Why wasn't she going out somewhere tonight? Didn't she have a date?

She reached into her car to grab a jacket when someone stepped up behind her. The guy wrapped his arms around her waist, and she screamed. I stood up straighter and took a step in her direction. I watched as she turned around and smiled at the guy. I felt my hands clench as I realized who the guy was. Joe Morelli.

I personally had no beef with the guy. He'd never so much as looked in my direction let alone spoken two words to me. Probably because he thought I was inferior. His group from the Burg seemed to be under the delusion that being Italian was one step down from sainthood. Seeing as how I was Cuban, that made me less than worthy of his time. No, I had no personal reason to despise the guy. I just hated him on principle. I had had the unfortunate luck of being stuck in the same gym class as Morelli since freshman year. While he showered his hairy body, he felt the need to tell one and all about the latest virgin he had deflowered or which girl he had gotten to take it up the ass. The guy was a pig.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of sex. A huge fan, in fact. I just didn't appreciate the way Morelli talked about it. I felt sorry for the girls he had lied to, promising that he was in love with them just to get in their pants. Maybe it was because I had four sisters, but I had always been taught to treat women with more respect than that.

I popped open a beer and took a long drink, watching as Morelli helped the cute little twirler into his truck. I hoped that she wasn't about to become his latest conquest.

The guys were ready to leave, to head out for our side of town. There were always girls over there who were ready for a good time. Plus there were rumors of a party one street over from my house. But I couldn't leave. We sat and drank as the parking lot cleared out. Finally there was just one car left. Her car. I couldn't leave until I knew what had happened to her. I don't know why. I couldn't explain my need to know. I just felt a pull to stay here. I had to see him drop her off, had to know that he hadn't hurt her. I didn't want to hear a story about her in the locker room on Monday.

We joked around, sitting on the hoods of our cars and smoking for a couple hours before I saw headlights moving in our direction. I sat up when I saw the truck approach the field. It was Morelli's truck. It pulled over next to her car and parked. My eyes widened when the curly haired brunette hopped down out of the driver's seat. Where was Morelli? Why was she driving herself back to the field?

She looked over in our direction and hurried to her car. I could tell that she was nervous. She was a girl all alone at night in a dark parking lot lit only by a few lights. She was right to be cautious. She slid in and tried to start the car. I could tell the engine hadn't caught.

Something was wrong with her car. Maybe this was why I had felt the need to stay here tonight, the pull I couldn't explain.

Without saying a word to the guys, I sat my beer on the hood of Lester's car and headed over to her. I looked through the window and saw her sitting with her head on the steering wheel. She was no doubt frustrated about her car.

I knocked on her window, and she let out a yelp and jumped. I motioned for her to roll down her window, and she cracked it about an inch. I smirked. Yep, she thought I was trouble.

"You got a problem, Babe?" I asked, crossing my arms across my chest.

She took a deep breath. "My car won't start." She admitted. I looked into her wide blue eyes and felt a surge of pride. This was something I could help her with.

"Let me take a look?" I asked.

She hesitated, and I shook my head. "Would you rather sit here all night?" I tried to rationalize with her.

She knew that I was right, and I watched as she blew out a deep sigh and opened the door. I reached out a hand to help her out of the car. She grabbed it, and I felt a jolt of electricity as I pulled her out of the car. She looked up into my face with wide eyes, and I was pretty sure that she had felt it, too.

I climbed into the car and sat there trying to calm my nerves. What the hell was going on? I mean, the girl was cute, but I've been around beautiful girls before and they'd never affected me the way this girl had. I scrubbed my hands across my face. Pull yourself together, Manoso! I ordered myself. I took a deep breath and turned her car key. I heard the telltale click, click, click, click. She had a dead battery. That was easy enough to solve.

I gave myself another pep talk before I climbed out of the car. She's just a girl. Just treat her like you would treat any other girl. That all went out the window when I climbed out of the car and saw Lester standing with his arm around her. Son of a bitch! I glared at him, and he dropped his arm. Damn straight he'd better drop his arm! Wait a minute! Where the hell were these possessive feelings coming from? I shook my head slightly and walked over to stand in front of her.

"It's dead, Babe. Any idea what happened?"

She groaned and buried her face in her hands. "Yeah. My trunk light doesn't always shut off. When I threw my bag in the trunk earlier, I was distracted. It probably stayed on the whole time I was gone."

My back stiffened. That reminded me _why _she had been distracted earlier. Morelli had been talking to her. But Morelli wasn't here now; I was. She needed help, and I was the one who was going to help her. Not Morelli.

"Want me to jump you, Babe?" I offered.

She uncovered her face and her jaw dropped open. "What?" she squeaked, her eyes nearly popping out of her head.

I couldn't help it. The expression on her face was just priceless! This girl was too sweet and innocent for her own good! I started laughing hysterically and so did the rest of the guys.

"Your _car,_ Babe. Want me to jump your _car_?" I managed to choke out.

Her face flamed a bright red and she squeaked out her reply. "Oh! Um, yes, please. But I don't know how to hook up those cable thingies!"

I couldn't help myself. I had to touch her again. I smiled and put my arm around her shoulders. "I know how to hook up those cable thingies. You'll be good to go in just a couple of minutes, OK?"

She nodded at me, and I squeezed her shoulder. I walked over to Lester's Mustang and started it. I pulled it in front of her car and popped both hoods. Cal helped me hook up the cables, and in no time, her car was started.

I left her car running so that the battery would have time to recharge, and I walked over to her. I meant to tell her that she was all set. But then I stood in front of her and looked into her beautiful blue eyes. When I opened my mouth, I heard my voice ask, "Let me drive you home?"

"Why?" she questioned softly. Because you're beautiful. Because I don't want you to leave. Because I want to spend just ten more minutes with you.

"Just in case, Babe. I'd hate for you to get half way home and have more problems." Well, that was true, too. Her car should be fine now, but I wanted to be sure that she made it home OK. I was filled with a completely irrational need to protect her, and I didn't even know her name. I just wanted to wrap her up in my arms and hold her.

She wrinkled her forehead at me. "But then how will _you_ get home?"

She was worried about how I would get home! My heart swelled a little bit, and I glanced over at the guys. "My cousin will follow me."

Lester nodded.

She bit her lip, and I could tell that she was nervous. This wasn't the kind of girl I was used to dealing with. This was not a girl who would be comfortable riding alone in a car with a strange boy. This girl was special. I needed to put her at ease.

I grinned at her. "I promise not to attack you on the way to your house," I reassured her. "But would you feel better if Cal rode with us?" I motioned to him.

She shook her head. "No, it's fine. I'm just not sure what my parents will think of me coming home past curfew with a couple carloads of guys." She blushed.

I loved watching that beautiful color spread across her cheeks. It made her eyes seem even more blue. I was so busy admiring her eyes and her pouty pink lips, that I didn't even respond to her concern.

Lester must have seen the glazed expression in my eyes because he grinned and answered for me. "I'll park at the end of your street. How's that? Your parents will only see Carlos."

She smiled in relief. "Thanks!"

She had agreed! I could take her home! I took her hand and walked her over to the passenger side of her car. When I opened the door for her, the guys started whistling and catcalling. I was going to kill them! I glared at them, and the whistles turned to coughs and throat clearing.

I helped her get in and then I ran around to the driver's side of the car. I climbed in and looked over at her, waiting for her to tell me which way to go to get to her house. She just stared back at me. I raised an eyebrow at her, and she raised both of hers back at me. I wondered what would happen if I took off my shirt? That thought made me grin. Finally I broke the silence. "Babe, you're going to have to give me directions. I don't know where you live."

She blushed and closed her eyes. I heard her mutter under her breath, "If he weren't so freaking hot, maybe my mind wouldn't be scrambled around him!"

I felt my chest puff up just a little bit. I could tell that she hadn't meant for me to hear her, but I was glad that I had. At least we were on equal footing! She was just as flustered around me as I was around her. I tried to cover my laugh, but she looked up and realized that I had heard her.

"Out loud?" she groaned.

"Yeah, Babe, out loud." I grinned.

She blew out a sigh, and I could tell that she was embarrassed. I didn't want her to be embarrassed about her attraction to me. I was already hopelessly attracted to her. I could tell that she was innocent and sweet. She had the most beautiful big blue eyes, and I wanted to see what her pouty pink lips would feel like pressed against mine. I reached over and took her hand. Immediately I felt the same spark that I had earlier. I hoped she did, too.

She gave me directions to her house, and I drove her home in a daze, holding her hand the whole way. I just couldn't make myself let go.

I pulled into her driveway, and a woman opened the door. I was guessing this was her mom. "Stephanie Michelle Plum…" she started to lecture, but gasped when I climbed out of the car.

The disapproval on her face brought me crashing back to reality. This was the Burg. These were the people who thought that The Godfather was on equal footing with the Bible. There was no way that a girl from this section of town would be interested in seeing a guy from my section of town. She was too good for me. I knew it, and from the look her mother was giving me, she knew it, too. Even if I managed to get my Babe to go out with me, it would only be a matter of time before she realized it as well.

Her dad stuck his head out the door and gave me a once over. He glared at me and then addressed his daughter. "Pumpkin, what's going on?" he asked in a gruff voice.

"My battery died after the game. Carlos jump started it for me, and offered to drive me home in case it gave me any more trouble." she explained. My heart sped up a little bit when she said my name. She remembered my name! And now I knew hers. Stephanie. Stephanie Michelle Plum, according to the start of her mother's lecture.

Her mother was still staring at me suspiciously, but her dad looked over at me again and nodded. He stuck out his hand. "Frank Plum." I shook his hand. "Carlos Manoso. Nice to meet you, sir."

"I appreciate your helping out my little girl. You got a ride home, son?"

I nodded. "My cousin followed us. He's waiting at the end of the block." I gestured to Lester's black Mustang.

Her dad turned and pushed her mother through the door. "Five minutes, Stephanie." He ordered and closed the front door. I could hear her mother protesting on the other side.

I grinned at her and raised her hand, kissing her palm. I wanted to bend her over and kiss her full on her pouty lips, but I knew that I couldn't. This girl was special. She deserved to be treated with respect. Plus her father had given me a small measure of trust by letting her stay out here alone with me for a few minutes. I wasn't going to ruin his opinion of me. If he approved of me, maybe Stephanie would, too.

"I guess I'll see you around, Stephanie." I told her. She nodded, and I walked down off the porch and jogged back to Lester's car.

C&S C&S C&S C&S C&S

I opened the passenger door and climbed in. Cal and Lester were waiting for me. The ribbing started right away.

"Man, Carlos! You've really lost your touch! Usually you get to second base within an hour of meeting a girl!" Cal teased.

I glared at him. "She's not that kind of girl!"

Lester smirked. "Did you see those legs? God, what I wouldn't give to feel those legs wrapped around me!" I punched his arm. Hard.

"Ow, man! What the fuck?" he growled.

"Don't talk about her like that!" I snarled.

His eyes widened as he looked back at me. "Jesus Christ! You like her! Cal, do you see this? The great Carlos Manoso has been undone by a little white girl from the Burg! Holy shit!"

I rubbed my temples. "Shut up, Santos!" I barked.

Lester howled. "I can't wait to talk to Tia Maria! Wait until she hears that her little Carlitos is head over heels in love!"

I glared at him. "Unless you want me to tell Tia Carolina what's in your sock drawer, you'll shut the hell up!"

Lester paled. "Damn, man! That's cold!"

We dropped Cal off first, and then Lester parked in my driveway. I raised an eyebrow at him when he shut the car off and climbed out.

"What?" he asked innocently. "Maybe I need a drink of water."

"And you can't wait the two minutes until you get home?" I asked dryly.

"Maybe I want to say hi to my other cousins."

I glared at him. "Keep your mouth shut, Lester. I mean it!"

He just gave me a shit eating grin as we walked through the door.

Mama poked her head out of the kitchen. "Lester! Carlitos! Come have a little snack and tell me about the game." 

Lester grinned. "I'd love to, Tia Maria!"

I shook my head and swore under my breath. If he weren't my cousin, I would kill him. I followed him into the kitchen and sat down at the worn wooden table.

Mama gave us both a big mug of hot chocolate. "So, how was the game?" she asked.

"Fine, Mama." I answered her.

Mama tipped her head to the side and looked closely at me. "What happened, Carlos?"

My eyebrows furrowed together. "What do you mean, Mama?"

"You have a strange look on your face. What happened tonight?"

"Nothing, Mama, nothing!" I rushed to reassure her.

She narrowed her eyes and her mouth became a thin line. "Did you get yourselves in some kind of trouble again tonight?"

"No, Mama!"

"Don't you lie to me, Carlos!"

I looked over at Lester, but he was no help. He was smirking and looking at Mama.

"I'm not lying, Mama! We didn't get in any trouble tonight!"

Lester finally spoke up. "In fact, we were the good guys tonight."

My Mama quirked an eyebrow at him.

"We helped a damsel in distress." He winked at me. "Well, Carlos helped her."

Mama looked back at me, an expectant look on her face. "Well?"

I blew out a sigh. "A girl from school couldn't get her car started after the game. Her battery was dead. So I used Lester's car and gave her a jump."

My mother's eyes widened ever so slightly. "And?"

I rested my forehead on my hands. "And I drove her home." I mumbled.

"Excuse me?"

I cleared my throat and looked up. "And I drove her home to make sure that she didn't get stranded."

"You drove a girl home from the game?"

"Yes."

"And she is a nice girl?"

"Very."

"Beautiful?"

I felt my body respond to the memory of Stephanie's legs. "Yes, Mama. Very beautiful."

She smiled so wide that it stretched across her whole face. "Ricardo!" she squealed. "Ricardo, come in here!"

My father came running into the kitchen, a look of panic on his face. "What is it? What's wrong?"

My mother beamed. "Nothing is wrong! Everything is perfect! Carlos has met a girl!"

I groaned and laid my head down on the table as Lester laughed hysterically.

_**So, do you want Carlos's POV from Saturday? Or should we just keep going with what happens on Sunday?**_


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm glad you guys liked Carlos's POV of Friday night! :) This starts out with a short flashback of Saturday night. Hopefully that is a good compromise between those people who wanted his POV from Saturday and those who were ready to move on. In future chapters I'll try to combine Steph and Carlos's POVs in the same chapter so that we don't have to repeat! Thanks for your PMs and reviews! :)**

**Carlos's POV - Sunday**

I woke up Sunday morning, and a grin stretched across my face. If the guys could see me now, they would tease the shit out of me. I didn't care. I was so happy I felt like my heart would burst. I had asked Stephanie to Homecoming, and she had said yes. She had even kissed me on the cheek before I left. I closed my eyes. I couldn't believe the difference that one day made.

Yesterday had started out pretty dull. Lester and I had spent the entire day at my Uncle Enrique's car dealership. He had hired us this past summer to help out as needed. Mostly we detailed cars and did janitorial work. If they were short handed or really busy, we occasionally helped out with minor mechanical problems or did oil changes.

Usually I enjoyed spending the day there. It was good money and I loved working on cars. Yesterday, however, was torturous. Lester had spent the whole day harassing me about Stephanie. It didn't matter where I went or what I was working on. Lester would pop up behind me and make comments like, "Maybe she'd give you a private half-time show if you asked nicely." or "That long curly hair is just begging to have someone's fingers tangled in it."

If we hadn't been at my uncle's dealership, I would've punched him. Not there, though. My uncle would have been pissed and probably would have fired us both. I didn't want to lose that job. It was good money, and the hours were great. I worked a few hours after school each day and during the day on Saturday. The dealership was closed on Sundays and in the evenings, so I could make it to every football game and go out every Saturday night. Other than a shift during the day on Saturday, my weekend was basically my own. There was no way I could find another job like that.

Besides, then Uncle Enrique would have called Mama. That would be even worse. I'd get a never ending lecture about how important family is and how it wasn't appropriate to kill family members. Even Lester.

Mama had hounded me about Stephanie from the time I got home from work. Was I going to call her? Why didn't I go out with her tonight instead of the guys? Was she seeing anyone? Did I want to invite her over for Sunday dinner?

I had finally escaped by telling her that I had to take a shower and get ready to go. The new action film was out, and the guys wanted to go and see it. We were all saving up to buy newer cars, so we took turns driving. Tonight was Bobby's turn, and we all piled in and headed to the movies.

We got our tickets and walked into the lobby. I was headed over to the concession stand when I saw a flash of curly brown hair out of the corner of my eye. Stephanie? Before I could even think about what I was doing, I started walking over towards her.

She was walking towards the arcade, scanning the crowd as if she were looking for someone. A good looking blond guy came up behind her and grabbed her arm. He spun her around and started talking to her in a harsh tone. "Stephanie, stop acting like a child! I'll drive you home. Let's go."

I picked up my pace and was almost right behind her as she wrenched her arm free. "I don't _want_ you to drive me home! I don't _trust_ you to drive me home!" She spat out.

What was going on here? Was this guy harassing her? I stepped up right behind her and gave the guy a menacing look. He looked back at me, shocked, and I put a hand on Stephanie's shoulder. She turned around and looked at me, and I was certain that I could see relief in her eyes.

"Everything OK, Babe?" I asked. I forced my tone to sound calm, but inside I was far from relaxed.

She blushed. "Um, actually, I need a ride home again." I would gladly take her home, but I wanted to know what was going on. Who was this guy? Had he hurt her?

Before I could ask her anything, the guy interrupted in a biting tone. "Everything is just fine. I'm Stephanie's date for tonight, and I'll make sure that she gets home."

She looked at me with wide eyes, and I knew that she didn't want to go with him. She was afraid of this guy, and there was no way in hell that I would let her leave with him. I put my arm around her shoulder. "She doesn't seem to want you to take her. Why don't you run along? I'll make sure that she gets home."

He glared at my Babe. "Stephanie, let's go!" Was the guy a fucking idiot? I had clearly told him to run along. I really didn't want to get into a fight in the middle of the arcade, but that was what was about to happen if this guy didn't walk away. And soon.

She shook her head and my heart swelled as she said, "Carlos can give me a ride home."

"You've got to be kidding me!" he said contemptuously. "You're going to let this guy drive you home? Even if you do manage to make it there in one piece, your mother will kill you once you get there!" I knew that he thought she was too good for me, just like her mother did. But that was too bad, because Stephanie had chosen me over him.

"Good night, Dickie!" she responded. I put my arm around her and guided her away from him.

I was furious when she told me what had happened in the movie theater. How could anyone ever dream of taking advantage of someone as sweet and innocent as Stephanie? Or was that the attraction? Did he just want to take that from her? I was glad that I had been there for her. Otherwise she might have accepted a ride home from Dickie, and who knows what would have happened. Dickie. Seriously, who goes by Dickie?

The only behavior more shocking than Dickie's had been her mother's. Even after hearing how he had treated Stephanie, her mother still wanted her to go to Homecoming with him. Just so that she could have a date and go to the dance. What kind of mother treats their child that way? If one of my sister's dates had treated them like Dickie had treated Stephanie, my parents would be shipping them to Abu Dhabi in a crate, not encouraging my sister to go to a dance with them. At least Stephanie's father seemed to be rational. He had put his foot down, absolutely forbidding Stephanie to see him again.

I wasn't sure how he would react when I offered to take her to the dance, but he seemed fine with it. Maybe even happy.

I grinned like a lovesick idiot until I realized that I still had to tell my parents that I was going to Homecoming. With a girl. I groaned and rolled out of bed to take a shower.

**Steph's POV- Sunday**

The good thing about working at a bakery was that I _worked_ at a _bakery_! I was surrounded by sweets, and the owners didn't mind if I ate a couple pastries every now and then. The bad thing about working at a bakery was that the busiest times were early mornings. That meant that even after a late night, I had to get up early to go to work.

Sunday morning was a pretty boring repeat of Saturday. I woke up early and headed into the bakery. Sunday was always the busiest day of the week. Everyone stopped in to get doughnuts on their way to or from church.

The lines were long, and the first few hours of my shift flew by. Looking up to wait on my next customer, I was startled to see a flaming skull tattoo. "Cal!" I grinned.

He looked up at me and smiled as he recognized me. "Stephanie!"

He was dressed in a suit and tie. I guess the tattoo didn't get him out of church _every_ week. The lady with him smiled at me while she elbowed him sharply in the side. He winced as he introduced me to his mother.

"How do you two know each other?" she asked me politely.

I grinned as I filled their order. "Cal and his friends helped me get my car started after the football game Friday night. My battery had died, and they were kind enough to give me a jump start."

She looked hopefully between the two of us. "Do you go to Trenton High?"

I nodded as I packed the last doughnut into their box.

"Do you have a date for Homecoming?" she fished.

"Mom!" Cal looked mortified.

"I do." I admitted. "Actually I'm going with a friend of Cal's."

Cal's mother looked disappointed for just a minute then leaned towards me and whispered loudly, "Maybe you could help Cal find a date and you could all go together!" She grinned and looked meaningfully at him. He took a deep breath and stared at his shoes. I bit my lip to keep from laughing out loud.

Finally he picked his head back up and looked at me. "If you and Carlos want to double with a friend of yours, that might be fun."

I smiled back at him. "Let me see if any of my friends need a date, and I'll let you know, OK?"

His cheeks were bright red as he nodded. His mother gave me a blinding smile. "So nice to have met you, dear!" she called as they walked out of the bakery.

I waved and thought about my mother's reaction if I went to Homecoming with Cal. I snickered as I pictured her showing everyone pictures. _And here are Stephanie's Homecoming pictures. This boy here with the flaming skull tattoo was her date._ I snorted. Nope, those pictures certainly wouldn't be framed and in the living room!

About an hour before closing, Carlos walked into the bakery. When I saw him, I grinned so wide that my cheeks hurt. He grinned back and walked up to the counter.

"How's your day been, Babe?" he asked.

"Pretty good so far, Batman!" I teased back.

The bakery was empty, so I walked around the counter and sat with him at a high table. We visited for a few minutes before I had to start getting things ready to close. Carlos offered to help me with my closing routine, but I felt guilty taking him up on the offer. After all, this was my job. I didn't want to take advantage of his stopping by.

"Come on, Stephanie." He coaxed. "You probably have to at least mop and take out trash, right?"

I nodded. "I'll do that and you can count the drawer and take care of the pastries, OK?"

I bit my lip and nodded at him. "That would be great, thanks!"

I locked the front door and pulled out the cash register drawer. I counted it down and got the bank deposit bag ready while Carlos mopped the front of the store. He had just moved into the kitchen area to mop when I heard a knock on the front window. I looked up.

Joe Morelli was standing outside the locked door, hands tucked lazily in his front pockets, and a sexy grin on his face. I walked over, unlocked the door, and cracked it open.

"We're already closed. Did you need something, Joe?" I asked.

He grinned at me and gently pushed the door open, sliding past me into the store.

"We still have some pastries in the display counter. I was just getting ready to pack them up and put them on the day old shelf for tomorrow." I offered.

Joe shook his head and slowly backed me up against the wall behind the counter. I swallowed nervously.

"Do you know what my favorite dessert is?" he asked huskily.

I shook my head. I was starting to get nervous about where this was going.

"Cupcakes." Joe answered breathily. "Know why I love them so much, Cupcake?"

I put my hand on his chest. "Joe…" I started quietly.

"Because they're soft and sweet and good to eat." He continued, his hands reaching around and grabbing my ass, pulling me towards him.

His pushed his hips against mine as his lips pressed against my mouth. My heart was racing, and thoughts were running crazily through my mind. I tried to push against Joe's chest, but he grabbed both of my hands in one of his. His other hand snaked up the front of my shirt and roughly grabbed one of my breasts through my bra.

I pulled my head back. "Joe! Stop!" I said breathlessly, trying to wiggle the rest of me free.

Joe pushed me against the wall, maneuvering one of his thighs between mine. "Come on, Cupcake." He whispered huskily. "You know you want it."

I shook my head. "No, Joe!"

He pulled my arms behind my back and captured both of my wrists in one of his hands. His other hand tangled into my curls and pulled my head to the side. He began sucking on my neck, and I started whimpering.

"Joe, please!" I cried.

He pulled back and grinned. "You don't have to beg, Cupcake." Then he leaned back down and captured my lips.

When he leaned back, I screamed, "Stop!" at the top of my lungs.

Joe looked at me, stunned, as Carlos came running into the front of the store. He took one look at Joe pinning me to the wall, his hand tangled in my hair, and he stalked over to us. When he saw my tear-stained face, Carlos balled up his fist and punched Joe right in the mouth. He pulled back and punched him again, this time in the nose. Joe grunted and fell to the floor. Carlos picked him up and dragged him to the back of the store.

I slid down the wall and sat on the floor as I listened to the back door swing open and then slam closed a minute later.

Carlos strode back into the front of the store and kneeled in front of me.

"What did you do with him?" I asked in a whisper.

"Put him out with the rest of the trash." Carlos answered.

I giggled as I pictured Carlos throwing Joe into the dumpster. Carlos looked at me, concerned. I could tell that he was worried about me and trying to figure out why I was laughing.

He pulled me onto his lap, and my giggles turned to sobs. I straddled him, wrapping my arms and legs around him and held him as tight as I could. I could feel my body shuddering as he rubbed my back. "Shhh, Querida," he murmured.

My sobs slowed to hiccups and then quieted to sniffles as Carlos continued to comfort me. After a few minutes, he cupped my face in his hands and leaned back to look at me. "Are you OK, Stephanie? Did he hurt you?"

I shook my head no. "I'm fine." I offered him a watery smile.

Carlos squeezed my shoulder. "Why don't you sit down and relax for a minute? Just tell me what else you need to do to close."

I took a deep breath. "I can't do that! You've already done all the mopping and all the trash."

I stood up and wiped the tears from my cheeks. I sniffed a few more times and bit my lip as I started moving pastries to containers on the day old shelf. Without a word, Carlos grabbed a container and started filling it as well.

When we finished, I wiped down the inside of the display case and the counter top. Turning off the lights in the back, I grabbed the cash bag from under the register. I gave Carlos a weak smile. "I just have to drop this in the night deposit box at the bank."

Carlos rubbed my back and guided me towards the door. "Then let's go, Babe."

_**TBC**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Cal wishes to thank each and every one of you who offered to be his date to Homecoming or anywhere else he wanted to go! ;) As the housekeeper in Mary Poppins says, "The position 'as been filled!" **

**Thanks for all of the encouraging reviews and PMs! **

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From Chapter 5

**I stood up and wiped the tears from my cheeks. I sniffed a few more times and bit my lip as I started moving pastries to containers on the day old shelf. Without a word, Carlos grabbed a container and started filling it as well.**

**When we finished, I wiped down the inside of the display case and the counter top. Turning off the lights in the back, I grabbed the cash bag from under the register. I gave Carlos a weak smile. "I just have to drop this in the night deposit box at the bank."**

**Carlos rubbed my back and guided me towards the door. "Then let's go, Babe."**

Chapter 6

Carlos was astonished that I was expected to drive, by myself, to the bank every night with hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars.

"You've _got_ to be kidding me!" he exclaimed, his eyebrow quirked up in disbelief.

I shrugged my shoulders. I hadn't really thought about it before, but I guess it _was_ a little risky for a teenage girl to be out alone at night with that much money. Still… "This is the Burg! Who's going to rob me of the Tasty Pastry profits?"

Carlos blew out an exasperated breath. "Babe! Criminals do not have to stay within a certain ZIP code! Just because _you_ live and work in the Burg doesn't mean that someone from _outside_ the Burg can't come in and commit a crime."

I chewed on my lip. That was true. Hmmm…

He cupped my face gently in his hands. "Promise me you won't go to the bank alone anymore. I'll help you close at night and take you, or one of the guys can take you. It's not safe for you to go alone."

I looked at his face. His eyes were deep with concern. I nodded. "OK, Carlos. I promise."

He broke into a wide grin and leaned over to kiss my cheek. "Thanks, Babe."

We dropped the bag at the bank and headed back to get my car. It was a quarter to 6:00. I had 15 minutes to get home before my mother had a hissy fit.

I looked up at Carlos shyly. "Do you want to join us for dinner tonight? I don't know what my mom is making, but I'm sure there's enough for one more."

Carlos grinned at me. "If I eat dinner at your house tonight, my parents are going to expect you to eat at our house soon."

My eyes opened wide, and I felt a flush creep up my neck to my cheeks. Did that mean that he wanted me to meet his family? "Really?" I squeaked out.

If it were possible, his grin spread even wider across his face. "Yep. My parents are very anxious to meet the girl who was able to get their son to go to a school dance voluntarily."

I didn't have any idea what to say to that, so I just shook my head and climbed out of Carlos's car. I hesitated at the door to my car and looked over at him. As if he could read my mind, Carlos nodded. "I'll follow you."

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We got back to my house just a few minutes before 6:00. My mother was finishing up dinner in the kitchen, and my dad was parked in front of the TV. He did a double take when he saw Carlos standing behind me.

Turning to me, my dad said, "Stephanie, I thought you were working tonight."

"I was."

He looked pointedly at Carlos.

Carlos stepped forward. "I stopped in to visit and ended up helping Stephanie close. She invited me to join you for dinner. She thought there would be enough and that Mrs. Plum wouldn't mind."

My dad nodded. "Sure. There's always plenty." He turned to me then. "Go set another plate, Pumpkin."

Turning to Carlos, my dad asked "What football team do you root for?"

Carlos grinned. "The Giants, sir."

"Good man. Take a seat."

As I was leaving the living room, I was pretty sure I heard my dad whisper to Carlos that it would be nice not to be outnumbered by females at the dinner table. _Poor daddy! _I suppressed a giggle and headed into the kitchen.

My mom had everything on serving plates, ready and waiting to be carried into the dining room.

When I walked into the kitchen, my mom looked up. "You're just in time, Stephanie! Help me get everything on the table before the roast dries out."

"OK, mom. I just have to grab another place setting first." I headed over to the cupboard and pulled out a plate.

My mom looked up in surprise. "Who's here? Mary Lou? Connie?"

Before I could answer, Carlos stuck his head into the kitchen. "Mrs. Plum, may I please use your phone? I need to call and let my parents know that I'll be eating here so they don't wonder where I am."

My mom snapped out of her shock and nodded, gesturing to the phone. "Of course, help yourself. The phone is right there."

When Carlos turned his back to use the phone, my mother glared at me. I pretended that I didn't see her and headed for the dining room with Carlos's place setting.

I helped put out the serving dishes, and minutes later we all sat down to eat.

All in all, dinner went well. My mother glared at me whenever she thought Carlos wasn't looking, but the conversation was mostly pleasant. Other than my mother asking Carlos what part of Mexico he was from. (He winced and informed her that he was Cuban.) Or her relentless interrogation about his plans for next fall. (He wasn't sure. He might go to Rutgers for Business, but a few of his friends were talking about enlisting in the Army.)

Once we had all had our dessert, Texas sheet cake, I helped mom clear the table. She was just getting ready to start her Burg boy campaign when Dad walked into the kitchen. "Stephanie, go visit with Carlos. I'll help your mother with the dishes."

We both gaped at him open mouthed. My father had _never_ helped my mother with dishes that I could remember. And he had certainly never offered to do them so that I could go and talk to a boy. What was going on around here?

We continued to stare at my father in confusion. My mother found her voice first. "Don't be silly, Frank. Stephanie can help me with the dishes!"

"Carlos is her guest, isn't he? We don't want her to get a reputation as a bad hostess do we?" My father winked at me.

Holy shit! My dad was devious!

My mother looked startled by that idea. "No, no. Of course we don't. Stephanie, go entertain your guest. We'll do the dishes tonight."

I grinned at my dad. "Thanks, dad." I gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"That's alright, Pumpkin." He replied gruffly.

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Carlos and I sat and talked for hours. At 10:00, he decided that he'd better head home.

"It's a school night, and my mother will have a conniption if I'm not home soon!" he grinned.

I smiled and walked him out to his car.

"Don't forget that you owe me a family dinner, Babe." He teased.

I nodded. "Just name the day and time." I told him.

"Let me talk to Mama and get back to you. Meet me in the parking lot tomorrow morning?"

I nodded again and shivered at the chill of the late September air.

Carlos wrapped his arms around me and tilted my chin up. He looked deep in my eyes. "Good night, Stephanie." He whispered before he touched my lips lightly with his.

"Good night, Carlos." I whispered.

He grinned and slid into his car. I stood in the drive and waved as he drove home.

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Carlos was waiting for me before school the next day. Unfortunately, I was running late, as usual, and we only had five minutes to talk before the late bell rang. We agreed to meet at his locker after last period. We were going to try to coordinate our after school schedules for the next couple of days. Mostly he wanted to be sure that he knew when I worked. I think he was really nervous about me taking the bank deposit bag alone every night. To be honest, now that he had pointed out the possible dangers, I was too.

Mary Lou and Connie cornered me in our first period class and demanded to know what was going on with me and the hot Latino guy I was talking with. I explained everything that had happened over the weekend while they sat in a trance and listened.

When I finished, Connie let out an exasperated breath. "I can't even get _one_ date with _one_ guy, and you had _three_ dates with _three_ different guys this weekend? That's it, I quit. I'm officially out of the game. I'm going to quit shaving and wearing deodorant and fly off to one of those hippie communes in California."

I stuck my tongue out at her. "Well, you can _have _Dickie and Joe. They're a pair of oversexed cavemen."

Mary Lou narrowed her eyes. "Well I'd like to know what the hell they thought they were doing. Seriously! Who tries to practically molest someone on the first date? And what are the odds that it would happen to you twice in one weekend?"

I rolled my eyes at Mary Lou. "This _is_ me we're talking about here. I'm surprised it _only_ happened twice! You know my luck! And who knows what they were thinking! Evidently if you show those guys a little attention and treat them half way decent, they think it's a green light for sex."

Both girls shook their head and muttered derogatory comments under their breath. _Ass, pig, dick, moron_. I couldn't agree more!

I looked over at Connie thoughtfully. "Hey, Con. Do you have a date for Homecoming yet?" The last I'd heard, she was still looking.

Connie rolled her eyes and blew out a deep breath. "Noooooo."

I grinned. "Then I might be able to help you!" I told her all about Cal, how he was super friendly and easy to talk to, had a great sense of humor, and was the son of a minister.

"What's wrong with him?" Connie asked skeptically.

I bit my lip. "He may or may not have a flaming skull tattooed on his forehead."

Connie looked at me as if I were deranged. "What do you mean he _may_ or _may not_ have a flaming skull tattooed on his forehead?"

I sighed. "OK, he does. But he's a super nice guy, Connie! Don't pass him over just for that!"

Connie looked at me carefully. "I'll meet the guy and see. Maybe we could meet at Pino's or something this week for pizza and see how it goes."

I grinned and nodded. "Sounds like a plan!" I couldn't wait to tell Cal!

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By the end of the day, I was excited to see Carlos again. I ran out of my last period class and headed towards his locker. As I rounded the corner, I saw a small crowd of students up ahead. I picked up my pace just slightly, wondering what was going on.

I pushed up next to the crowd and saw Principal Marco standing next to Carlos. Marco was an institution at Trenton High. He had taught here for years and then took over as the principal. Generations of families knew him. He was an alright guy, but if he had it out for you, forget it! You were done! Luckily for me, I had known Marco since I was a toddler. Our families went to the same church, and my parents were friendly with him. On top of that, my older sister Valerie had been a saint in high school. Well all the way through school really. I just mostly kept my head down and plowed ahead. I had a few detentions for being tardy, but for the most part I had been a good kid. Principal Marco always smiled and called hello to me when he saw me in the halls.

It looked as though Carlos didn't have quite the same relationship with our principal that I did. Marco was waving around a pack of cigarettes and yelling at him. From what I was hearing, I was gathering that the cigarettes had been found in Carlos's locker. I pushed a little closer.

"Mr. Manoso, this isn't exactly your first brush with trouble here, now is it?"

"No, sir." Carlos replied with a cold, blank stare.

"You do realize that I'm going to have to suspend you for this, right?"

"Sir, these are not my cigarettes. Someone must have put them in my locker." Carlos tried to explain.

"Mr. Manoso, do you think I'm an idiot?"

"No, sir."

"I have _seen_ you smoking. I _know_ you smoke."

"Yes, sir, I do. But I don't bring them into the building. My cigarettes are in my car right now. These aren't even the brand I buy."

Marco waved his arm around, his face turning redder and redder. "They were found in your locker, Mr. Manoso. As far as I'm concerned, they're yours. Unless someone else is willing to claim them, you've earned a 5 day suspension!"

Five days! Shit! Evidently my Batman had a few priors with Marco! He usually started out with one or two days!

I pushed up to the front and watched as Carlos's head dipped down. Marco had grabbed him by the shoulder, ready to head towards the office, when I reached the front of the crowd.

"They're mine!" I yelled.

Principal Marco and Carlos both snapped their heads up in surprise. I watched as they scanned the crowd, trying to determine who had spoken. 

I walked up and stood next to Carlos. I took his hand and repeated, "They're mine."

Carlos stared at me wide eyed and shook his head. "They are _not_ hers, sir." His face was screaming _what the fuck are you doing?_

Principal Marco stared at me in astonishment. "Stephanie Plum!" he gasped. "Are you telling me that these cigarettes are _yours_?"

"Yes, sir, they are." I squeezed Carlos's hand.

His eyes narrowed at me. "I wasn't aware that you smoked, Miss Plum."

I bit my lip. "I just started."

He shook his head. "Would you like to tell me how _your_ cigarettes ended up in _Mr. Manoso's_ locker, young lady?"

I cleared my throat. "I left them there after lunch. I figured I'd grab them at the end of the day."

Marco's mouth became a tight line. "And you just picked a random locker to shove them in?"

My face flamed a bright red as I shook my head no.

"Why are they in this particular locker, Miss Plum?" Marco growled.

I squeezed Carlos's hand again. "Because Carlos and I are dating."

Marco threw his hands up in the air. "Fabulous!" he muttered and glared at the pair of us. "My office! Right now! Both of you!" and he stormed off in the direction of his office.

The crowd around us began buzzing excitedly as Carlos and I slowly trudged, hand in hand down to the office.

Carlos leaned his head over. "Babe, don't do this. Don't take the fall for me. It's not worth it. You don't need the hassle."

I looked at his face. "Are they yours?"

He looked back at me. "No."

"Do you know whose they are?"

He let out a deep breath. "I think Morelli stuck them in there as a payback for last night. He made a couple comments in gym about me 'going up in smoke.' "

I sucked in a deep breath. I had already planned on helping Carlos, but this just cemented my decision. Because he had stood up for me, because he had stopped Morelli, he was in danger of being suspended for five days! Morelli was such an ass! Why had I ever liked him? Why had I ever hoped he would use his lizard tongue on me? The only thing I wanted to do with his lizard tongue right now was cut it out!

We walked into the office and stood outside Marco's door. The secretary looked down her nose at us, disapprovingly. "Stephanie Plum! Your mother is going to be very disappointed to hear about this! I only hope that you have learned your lesson and start making better choices about the company you keep!"

I gasped and looked at Carlos wide eyed. I couldn't believe that she had the nerve to talk about him like that when he was standing right here!

He touched my cheek with one hand. "She's right, Stephanie." He whispered. "I'm not worth it. Let me take the heat. You don't need these kinds of problems."

I shook my head. "This is all my fault. But even if Morelli didn't do it, I owe you!"

Carlos raised an eyebrow at me in question.

"You've saved me three times now."

He shook his head. "Stephanie, be serious! I'm not exactly keeping a scorecard of every time I do something nice for you!"

I smiled softly. "I know. But you've been my Batman several times over now. Let me take a turn."

He grinned. "You wanna be Catwoman?"

I grinned back. "Wonder Woman. Her costume is cooler."

Carlos shook his head and squeezed my hand. "Wonder Woman it is."

Marco called out from behind his open office door. "Mr. Manoso, Miss Plum, when the two of you have finished your very important conversation, get in here! I am waiting!"

Carlos squeezed my hand, and we walked in together.

Principal Marco gestured for us to sit, and we did. I clung to Carlos's hand and swallowed nervously.

Marco eyed me knowingly. "Miss Plum, I am not convinced that these cigarettes are yours. Are you _sure_ that's the story you want to stick with?"

I nodded my head.

He sighed and leaned back in his chair, his hands covering his eyes. "And what do you think your parents will have to say about this whole incident?"

My voice came out slightly above a whisper. "They won't be very happy about it, sir."

"No, I would guess not, Miss Plum. Your sister Valerie was a model student. Excellent grades, served on student council, never in trouble." He held up a thin file folder. "You have not been quite so lucky. Although the infractions that you have been written up for are very minor. Tardies, coming to class without supplies, nothing major."

He picked up a file folder that was several times as thick as mine. "Mr. Manoso, you, on the other hand, have quite an impressive list of infractions here. Shall I share them with Miss Plum?"

Carlos sat still and didn't answer Mr. Marco.

Marco looked at me. "Are you curious, Miss Plum? Would you like to know what kind of boy you're dating?"

I shook my head. "No. I know what kind of boy I'm dating."

They both looked at me intently. "And what kind of boy is that?" Marco asked.

I blushed and cleared my throat. "The kind of boy who is willing to help me start my car when I'm stranded all alone late at night. The kind of boy who would give me a ride home after my date left me at the movies. The kind of boy who bought me a milkshake when he found out I didn't have enough money for one. The kind of boy who would help me take out trash and mop so that I could get out of work earlier. The kind of boy who stopped Joe Morelli from raping me behind the counter of the Tasty Pastry last night. That's the kind of boy I'm dating, Principal Marco."

Marco's eyebrows nearly flew off his head when I had finished my speech. He looked over at Carlos, and I snuck a glance at him as well. He was sitting with a stunned expression on his face, looking at me with something akin to awe.

"Be that as it may," Marco continued gruffly, "There is still the matter of these cigarettes. Miss Plum, since this is your first offense, I am not going to suspend you."

I let out a huge breath. "Thank you, sir!"

"However," he continued. "I am going to give you a Saturday detention to be served this Saturday. You will report to the library at 7:00 am and remain until 4:00 pm. Bring a lunch."

I felt tears pricking my eyes. "But I'm scheduled to work this Saturday."

Marco softened his gaze slightly. "You'll need to call off. I'm hoping that this punishment causes you to think about the influence your peers are having on your actions, Miss Plum." He looked pointedly at Carlos. "I hope that you will make better choices in the future."

He turned his gaze to Carlos. "Are you scheduled to work this Saturday as well, Mr. Manoso?"

Carlos gave a stiff nod.

Principal Marco smiled. "Then you can call off, too. Since Miss Plum has accepted ownership of the cigarettes, I am not suspending you. However, possession of them is still against school rules. You will be joining her in Saturday detention this weekend."

Marco looked satisfied with himself as he surveyed our miserable faces. "Any questions?" he asked us.

We both shook our heads.

"Then go home." Marco dismissed us.

_**TBC**_

_**The stage for the detention scene is being set! Any idea who will be the athlete, the basket case, and the brain? No fair guessing if you already know! ;) What "crime" will land them there?**_


	7. Chapter 7

Thanks again for all of the PMs and reviews! I am having lots of fun writing this story, and I am so glad that there are people who are enjoying reading it! :) I am loving all of your guesses for the rest of the detention players!

_Bold section from Chapter 6_

"**Miss Plum, since this is your first offense, I am not going to suspend you."**

**I let out a huge breath. "Thank you, sir!"**

"**However," he continued. "I am going to give you a Saturday detention to be served this Saturday. You will report to the library at 7:00 am and remain until 4:00 pm. Bring a lunch."**

**I felt tears pricking my eyes. "But I'm scheduled to work this Saturday."**

**Marco softened his gaze slightly. "You'll need to call off. I'm hoping that this punishment causes you to think about the influence your peers are having on your actions, Miss Plum." He looked pointedly at Carlos. "I hope that you will make better choices in the future."**

**He turned his gaze to Carlos. "Are you scheduled to work this Saturday as well, Mr. Manoso?"**

**Carlos gave a stiff nod.**

**Principal Marco smiled. "Then you can call off, too. Since Miss Plum has accepted ownership of the cigarettes, I am not suspending you. However, possession of them is still against school rules. You will be joining her in Saturday detention this weekend."**

**Marco looked satisfied with himself as he surveyed our miserable faces. "Any questions?" he asked us.**

**We both shook our heads. **

"**Then go home." Marco dismissed us.**

Chapter 7

Carlos wrapped his arm around my shoulders and guided me out of the office.

"You OK, Babe?" he whispered quietly in my ear.

I swallowed hard and nodded, turning my head to discreetly wipe the tears from my eyes.

He stopped walking and put both hands on my shoulders. He looked deep in my eyes, searching for something, but I didn't know what.

"Why?" he whispered quietly.

It was only one word, but I knew what he meant. Why had I said the cigarettes were mine? Why had I stood up for him? Why hadn't I let Marco suspend him? Why had I accepted the Saturday detention?

"Because I wanted to." I whispered back. What else could I say? Because I felt fiercely loyal to him? A boy I'd only really known for 4 days? Because I thought I might be falling in love with him?

He cupped my cheek tenderly with his hand and leaned down to brush his lips across mine softly.

"Thanks." He whispered.

I nodded, blinking fast to keep the tears back.

I cleared my throat. "I'd better get going. I'm supposed to be at work, and since I have to call off Saturday, I can't afford to lose any more days." My stomach clenched. That meant I'd be off two Saturdays in a row. This one for detention and the following week to get ready for Homecoming. My car payment and insurance payment were due soon. Now I didn't know if I'd have enough to cover it. It would be close; that was for sure.

Carlos held my hand and walked me out to my car. As if he could read my mind, he said, "Are you gonna be OK if you lose this Saturday at work?"

I sighed. "Yeah. The loan is in my dad's name. There was no way I could take it out without him cosigning anyway. This way the interest rate was cheaper. Plus if the car was in his name, my insurance was lower. He pays the payments every month; I just pay him back. I've never been late before, but I think he'd understand just this once." I bit my lip. "I just hate to disappoint him."

Carlos squeezed my hand. "Want me to loan you the money? You can pay me back when you get caught up on hours at work."

I shook my head. "I can't do that. That's way too much money to borrow from you. I'll talk to my dad tonight." Butterflies immediately took up residence in my stomach at the thought of that conversation.

"Want me to talk to him with you?"

I shook my head. I really _did_ want Carlos to do it with me, but it was probably something I should do on my own.

He squeezed my hand again. "If you change your mind about either offer, let me know."

"OK."

"What time do you close tonight?"

"9:00."

"I'll be there. Do you get a break?"

"Yeah. Since I'm working 6 hours- 3:00-9:00, I get a half hour break for dinner."

"What time?"

I shrugged. "Whenever we're slow. Usually around 6:30."

"I work 3:00-6:00. Want me to bring something for dinner? We can eat together."

I smiled. "Won't your parents want you to eat with them?"

He grinned back. "Not if they know that I'm ditching them to eat with my beautiful date to Homecoming. Trust me, Babe, right now you can do no wrong in their eyes!"

I looked at him sadly. "Well, that'll last until they find out it's my fault you got a Saturday detention."

He frowned. "I've done worse on my own, trust me." He gave me a little push towards my car. "Now get going before we're both late to work! I'll see you at 6:30."

I waved, and he turned to walk to his car.

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Carlos's POV

I followed Stephanie home from work and walked her up to the front door. I held her cheeks in my hands and stared into her beautiful face. Her wide blue eyes stared back at me, so open, so trusting. I leaned down and pressed my lips against hers softly. She wrapped her arms around my waist, and my heart leapt at the thought that she wanted to be closer to me. I pulled back before we both lost control. Resting my forehead against hers, I gave her a wide grin.

"You'd better go in before your parents come looking for you." I teased.

She grinned back.

I rubbed my thumbs across her cheeks. "I'll see you tomorrow, Babe."

She nodded and gave me a soft good night as I hopped down off the porch and headed for my car.

I drove home shaking my head. A week ago I had spent my nights off hanging out with the guys, at the arcade, or just watching TV. Now I wanted nothing more than to spend every night with Stephanie. I would mop the floors and empty the trash at the Tasty Pastry every night. For free. I just wanted to be by her. I had only known her for a few days, but I knew I was in love with her. A grin spread across my face. Yeah, I was already whipped.

I pulled into my driveway and climbed out of the car, headed for the house. Mama met me at the door, arms crossed. "Where have you been?" she huffed. "It's 10:00!"

"I had to work…"

"You got off of work four hours ago! I have called everywhere looking for you. Lester said you left work at 6:00, and he hadn't seen you since then."

"Mama, I was with..."

"I called all of your friends, and I already know you weren't with them, so don't try to give me that!"

"I went to…"

By now my father had joined her at the door. She yelled, "Ricardo Carlos Manoso! I want to know where you've been!"

My father added sternly, "Answer your mother, _hijo_!"

I sighed. "I've been _trying _to answer her for the past several minutes, but she keeps talking over top of me!"

My father smacked the back of my head. "Don't be smart! Go sit in the living room. We'll be right in."

I rubbed my head and marched into the living room, a scowl on my face. I flung myself down into the recliner and waited. I could hear them holding a whispered conference in the hallway, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. Finally they both walked into the room and sat down on the couch across from me.

My mother crossed her arms and huffed at me, her eyes narrowed. My father placed his palms on his knees and leaned forward. "Carlos, your mother and I want to know where you've been all night, and we want to know _right now_."

I nodded once. "After school I went to work at Uncle Enrique's. I worked until 6:00, and then I picked up some fast food and took it to the Tasty Pastry."

"The Tasty Pastry?" my mother interrupted.

I sighed. "Yes, Mama. It's the bakery that Stephanie works at. She had to work until 9:00 tonight, so I offered to bring her something to eat. She took her dinner break, and we ate together. Then I hung around for a couple of hours and helped her get the store ready to close."

My father raised an eyebrow at me. "What do you mean you helped her get the store ready to close?"

"I emptied all the trash and mopped the floors while she packed up the leftover pastries and counted the money in the cash register."

My parents exchanged glances.

"You mopped the floor for her?" my mother asked.

"Yes."

"And emptied all the trash?"

"Yes."

They looked at each other again, and this time I saw the slightest of smiles on both of their faces.

My father cleared his throat. "If she closed the store at 9:00, where have you been for the last hour?"

I crossed my arms across my chest. "I drove her to the bank and then followed her home."

My father's forehead creased. "Why did you drive her to the bank?"

I blew out a breath. "She has to take the money bag to the bank every night, by herself. It has hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars in cash in it. I just don't think it's safe for her to go alone."

My mother's eyes widened slightly. "So you drove her to the bank?"

"Yes."

"And then you followed her home?"

"Yes." Why were my parents repeating everything I had just told them? I couldn't tell if they didn't believe me or if they were just in shock.

My parents looked at each other, communicating without saying a word. My father cleared his throat. "OK, then." He stood up.

My mother crossed the room and held my face in her hands. She was beaming. "Next time, just call so that I don't worry."

I frowned. "I did call. I called from work and talked to Celia. I told her that I wouldn't be home for dinner but that I'd be home before curfew."

My father walked to the foyer. He stood facing the stairs to the second floor and called "Celia!"

I could hear footsteps. "Yes?" she answered from the second floor landing.

"Did you forget to tell us that Carlos called?"

I could hear Celia groan. "Sorry, Dad! I got wrapped up in this paper that I'm writing, and the time got away from me. Yes, Carlos did call."

I wandered into the foyer and looked up at her.

"Sorry, Carlos!" she called. I nodded back at her. I knew she hadn't done it on purpose. Celia was writing essays and studying for medical school, and I knew she was overwhelmed right now.

My Mama waved me back into the living room. I reluctantly walked back in. I knew this was going to be an inquisition.

Mama smiled. "So when do we get to meet this girl, Carlos?"

I rubbed my temples. I knew I had to bring Stephanie here sooner or later, I would just prefer that it was later!

"She doesn't have to work Wednesday."

Mama grinned and clapped her hands together. "Bring her over right after school! We can visit and then have dinner and get to know each other."

I groaned. "I can't, Mama. I have to work. I'll see if Uncle Enrique will let me leave a little early, and I'll pick up Stephanie. We can eat around 6:30."

Mama shook her head. "You don't have to work on Wednesday."

I just stared at her. "Yes, I do. Uncle Enrique has me scheduled for every day this week, 3:00-6:00."

Mama headed for the kitchen. She called over her shoulder. "I'll let Enrique know that you need Wednesday off."

"Mama…" I started.

She turned around, her hands on her hips. "This is the first girl you've ever showed any interest in at all! I want to meet this girl who has you willing to do things like mop floors, take out trash, and go to school dances!"

I shook my head.

My dad came up behind me and clapped his hand on my shoulder. "Give up, _hijo_! This is all your mama has talked about since Friday night. Just let her meet this Stephanie and satisfy her curiosity already."

I blew out a breath and threw my hands up. "Fine!" I muttered.

I swear that my mother squealed like a little girl and took off running towards the kitchen.

My father laughed and squeezed my shoulder. "It will be fine, Carlos! It will be fine!"

I sure hoped so! I didn't want Stephanie to be scared off by my overly enthusiastic mother!

C&S C&S C&S C&S C&S

Stephanie's POV

I took a deep breath and pushed open the front door. My dad was sitting in his recliner in the living room, watching TV.

"Daddy?" I asked tentatively.

"Yeah, Pumpkin?" he answered distractedly.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?"

He looked over at the nervous tone in my voice and muted the TV. "What's wrong?" he asked.

My mother came through the dining room then. "How was work, Stephanie?" she asked.

"Fine, mom."

My dad looked at me. "What did you want to talk about, Pumpkin?"

My stomach clenched as my mom sat down in the chair across from my dad. I really didn't want to have to explain all of this in front of my mom. I figured that my dad would be understanding, but my mom.… Well….

I bit my lip. "I'm not sure if I'll be able to make my car and insurance payments on time this month."

My dad looked at me, surprised. For two years now, I'd faithfully made every payment on time. I'd never asked to pay later. I'd never been short. "Why not?"

I blushed and looked down at my hands. "I got a Saturday detention today at school. I have to call off work for this Saturday. My hours were already short because of Homecoming next week, but now I'm losing two Saturdays of work. Those are usually eight hour days. They make up a big part of my pay. If I miss both Saturdays this pay, I don't know if I'll have enough."

I looked back up at my dad, tears in my eyes.

My father wore a serious expression. "You've never been late before, so I'll allow it this one time. If it happens again, though, we'll need to talk about being responsible for your bills."

"It won't happen again, daddy. I promise."

"Now. How did you get a Saturday detention?"

This is the part I was really dreading. "Someone put a pack of cigarettes in Carlos's locker. Principal Marco was going to give him a 5 day suspension, even though they weren't Carlos's. So I said they were mine, and I got a Saturday detention."

My mother sat straight up, her nails digging into her palms. "What?" she screeched. "You left cigarettes in his locker? When did you start smoking?"

"I didn't start smoking, mom. They weren't really my cigarettes. I just said they were so that Carlos didn't get suspended."

My mother was furious. "I told you that boy was bad news! But would you listen to me? No! And now look where it's gotten you! A Saturday detention! Honestly, Stephanie! Valerie went all the way through school without a single detention. After school or Saturday. It's like you go out of your way to find trouble! Admitting to things you aren't even guilty of! Really! Did he put you up to this? Did he ask you to take the blame for him?"

I was shocked. "No, mom!"

"Then why on Earth would you say they were yours?"

I hung my head. "I wanted to help him."

My mother blew out an exasperated breath and looked pleadingly at my father. "Frank! Say something!"

My dad spoke up. "Does Carlos smoke?"

"Yes."

"Has he tried to pressure you to smoke?"

"No."

"Good. You know how hard it was for me to quit. It took me nearly ten years before I could finally do it. I don't want to see you go through that."

I nodded. "I know, daddy."

"How do you know these weren't his cigarettes?"

"He said he leaves his in his car."

"And you believe him?"

"Yes." I answered softly.

My dad nodded. "From now on, Pumpkin, try to be more careful. I know you wanted to help Carlos, but you have your future to think about, too. If you want to get into a nice college, you need to have a good school record, too."

I hadn't thought about that. "OK."

My mother was furious. "Frank! How can you be OK with this? Don't you see what kind of influence he's having on her? They've just barely met, and he's already gotten her in this much trouble! Who knows what will be next!"

My dad laughed. "Helen! Are you forgetting the locker checks Principal Cverko used to do?"

My mother blushed a bright red. "That was different!" she protested.

I looked at my dad and raised my eyebrows in question.

He grinned back at me. "When your mother and I were in high school, I ran with a questionable crowd. The principal knew we all smoked, so every once in a while, he would do a surprise locker check. He was always disappointed, though, because he could never find my cigarettes."

I looked at my dad. "How did you keep them hidden?"

He started laughing so hard that he could barely get out his answer. "I used to hide them in your mother's locker! She was such a good girl that Cverko could never understand why she would date me. He knew _she_ would never have cigarettes in _her_ locker, so he never checked it."

I started laughing along with my dad. My mother crossed her arms across her chest. Finally she let out an exasperated sigh and stood up, heading for the kitchen.

My dad winked at me. "Be careful, Pumpkin, or you might end up stuck with Carlos forever!"

My stomach fluttered. That wouldn't be such a bad thing, would it?

_**TBC**_

_**On a personal note, this is totally true. My dad was a "bad boy" in high school. My mom was an honor student, majorette, and all around "good girl." My dad would keep his cigarettes in her locker so that he wouldn't get caught. Since my mom was a good girl, the principal never checked her locker, and he could never figure out where my dad hid them! ;)**_


	8. Chapter 8

**All of your reviews and messages are so sweet! I'm glad that you guys are enjoying reading about teenage Carlos and Steph as much as I'm enjoying writing about them! *sigh* Young love! ;)**

Chapter 8- Tuesday, October 3, 1995

Steph's POV

I woke up Tuesday morning to a fluttery feeling in my stomach. When I got to school, I would see Carlos! A big goofy grin spread across my face.

I jumped out of bed and rushed through my shower, hair, makeup, and clothes. I bounded down the stairs and into the kitchen. I tried to just grab a piece of toast and run out the door, but my mother wasn't having it this morning.

She pointed a spatula at me. "Stephanie Michelle, sit down! You have plenty of time to eat at the table."

I sighed and sat down at the table with my father. He lowered the newspaper and winked at me when my mom turned back to the stove. Minutes later, she slid omelets onto plates and poured us each a cup of juice. While we ate, she went about making my dad's lunch and tidying up the kitchen.

"Do you work tonight, Stephanie?" she asked conversationally.

"Yes. Until 9:00 again, why?"

My mom was wiping off the counter and didn't make eye contact as she answered. "Just checking. I thought maybe I would make dinner some time this week and invite Dickie to join us. Or maybe that nice Carl Costanza from church."

I sucked in a breath and was just about to tell her exactly what I thought of that idea, but my father beat me to it.

He slammed his hand down on the table, making the plates and glasses jump and said in a very low voice, "Dickie is not welcome here."

"But Frank…" my mom started.

"Absolutely not. After what he pulled at the movie theater, he's lucky that he's still alive!" my dad growled.

"Frank!" my mom gasped.

His lips were set in a thin line and he pointed at my mother with his fork. "That boy is not welcome in my home. If I find him in this house, I will toss him out on his ass. Are we clear, Helen?"

My eyes were wide as I looked back and forth between my parents. I knew my dad could be a little overprotective at times, but this was still surprising. The last time I'd seen him this mad over a boy was when I was in 5th grade. Eddie had walked me home from a school dance. He gave me my first kiss that night. My dad was not pleased. As soon as I'd taken a step back, he had turned the garden hose on Eddie.

My mother looked a little pale. "Fine. No Dickie. I'll just see if Carl is available instead." She turned to me. "What nights are you off of work this week?"

"Wednesday, but mom please don't invite Carl over." I pleaded.

"Why not? He seems like a very nice boy, and you two have been friendly for a while now. Is he seeing anyone?"

"Not that I know of, mom, but I am!"

My mother ignored my last comment and kept talking. "I wonder if he has a date for Homecoming?" she mused.

I stood up and carried my plate to the sink. "It doesn't matter if he does or not because I do! I'm going with Carlos, remember?"

She waved her hand in the air. "Yes, yes, that was very nice of him to offer to take you if you couldn't find another date. But I don't really think he expected you to quit looking for someone to go with."

I clenched my hands into fists and tried to keep my voice under control. "Yes, mom, I'm pretty sure that he _does_ expect me to quit looking!"

My dad frowned at her. "Helen, quit meddling."

"I'm not meddling! I'm just trying to help Stephanie find a date, that's all!"

"I have one!" I reminded her.

She frowned and went back to packing my dad's lunch. "Well, keep Wednesday night open, and I'll call Carl's mother this afternoon."

I shook my head. I gave my dad a kiss on the cheek and walked out the kitchen door. "Have a good day, Pumpkin!" he called after me.

I drove to school on autopilot. I was going to have to talk to Carl sometime today. It wasn't that I didn't like him. I just didn't like him _in that way_. Carl and I had been friends for about as long as Eddie and I had been friends, which was practically forever. But that didn't mean I wanted to date him! Geesh! I felt like I was in Kindergarten again. My mommy was going to call his mommy to see if he could come over and play Wednesday night. Gah!

I pulled into the parking lot and saw Carlos standing with a group of guys around Lester's car. I recognized most of them, but a few were new faces.

I walked over, and I watched Carlos's face light up in a brilliant smile when he saw me. I felt a matching smile spread across my face as I reached his side.

He wrapped his arms around me and pulled my back to his front, holding me tight. He dropped a kiss on my head, and I blushed a bright red while the guys watched our interaction. We traded greetings all around, and I met Hal and Hector, two more friends of Carlos's

We were headed towards the building, Carlos's arm draped casually around my shoulders, when Mary Lou and Connie rushed up to us. Their eyes were sparkling with mischief, and Connie couldn't stop hopping up and down.

"What're you two up to?" I asked her, curious. "What's going on?"

She smirked at Mary Lou. They stared at each other for a few seconds, and Mary Lou started giggling. She grabbed my hand and started pulling me towards the back of the school.

"Where are you going?" I protested. "Our first class is the other way."

"You're going to hear about it as soon as you walk in the door. You might as well see it now." She answered, still yanking on my arm.

I looked back at Carlos, my eyebrows knitted together, and found a similar look of confusion on his face. He walked with me, his hand gently squeezing my shoulder. The rest of the guys followed behind.

We rounded the side of the school, and soon we were headed towards the football field.

"Mary Lou, what are we doing? Where are we going?"

She called out in a sing-songy voice. "You'll see."

We walked around the track and under the first set of bleachers. I let out a gasp. There in huge red letters, someone had spray painted a poem.

It was all about Joyce and how she liked it rough, tough, and once was never enough. I blinked and burst out laughing.

If I had to pick someone to have a lewd poem written about them, Joyce would have been my top pick. Well, maybe my second. My cousin Vinnie was rumored to have done a little more than just _play_ his trombone at band camp last summer. That thought made me shiver.

I turned to look at Connie and Mary Lou. "OK, this is hysterical, and you know how much I hate Joyce, but why did you drag me over here to see this?"

Mary Lou grinned. "Guess who wrote it?"

I spread my hands out, palms up. It was Joyce for crying out loud! Did the secretary have a list of every male student here at Trenton High? That would be the short list of possible candidates.

Connie started doing a happy dance. "Joe Morelli."

My mouth dropped open in shock. "What?"

Mary Lou nodded. "Apparently after Carlos helped you, uh, _turn him down_ Sunday night, he was pretty upset. He ended up hooking up with Joyce."

I just stared at the both of them, my mouth hanging open.

Connie continued. "If not for Carlos, it might be you here on the wall of shame!"

I was so positively giddy with relief that I wasn't the subject of Joe's poem that I turned around and threw my arms around Carlos's neck. I stood up on my tiptoes and pulled his lips down to mine, kissing him enthusiastically. When I pulled back a fraction of an inch, his eyes were still closed. He opened them and blinked, a slightly dazed look on his face.

"Thanks, Batman!" I whispered.

He shook his head and gave me a huge grin. "Anytime, Babe!" He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me closer to him.

I looked back over at Mary Lou. "Does Marco know it was Joe?" I asked.

Mary Lou nodded. "He and Mooch did it last night. They were both drunk and falling all over themselves. A cruiser pulled in, just patrolling the property and caught them right after they finished."

"Is it too much to hope that Joe was expelled?" I asked, grinning.

Connie looked a little nervous. "Well, since Mooch graduated last year, Marco couldn't do anything to him. They fined him for destruction of school property. But Morelli…" she trailed off.

When Connie didn't continue, Mary Lou started. "Marco wanted to suspend him, but Coach Zeke had a fit. He said that would make Joe ineligible to play for at least this week's game and maybe for Homecoming. He talked Marco into lessening the punishment."

I waited. "So what did he get?" I asked, having a feeling I already knew.

"Saturday detention." Mary Lou answered. "To be served this Saturday."

I dropped my head onto Carlos's shoulder. Crappity crap crap crap! Now Carlos and I would have to spend all day Saturday with Lizard Tongue Morelli. If everyone was still alive and not bleeding at the end of detention, it would be a miracle!

The warning bell sounded then, and I jumped in Carlos's arms. We headed back towards the school at a brisk pace. I couldn't afford to be late and get another detention today. My mother would probably disown me!

I rolled my eyes as I thought about Valerie, my perfect older sister. _She_ had never gotten detention for being tardy! _She_ had never served a Saturday detention. Oh no! Not Saint Valerie. She had sailed through school, graduating with honors. Now she was in California, taking care of a little efficiency apartment while her fiancé finished his degree. The perfect girl. The perfect guy. The perfect apartment. The perfect life. I sighed. No wonder my mother wanted to invite Carl over for dinner Wednesday night!

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Carlos had a different lunch period than I did, but Lester found me and guided me over to his table. Connie and Mary Lou joined us, and I got to introduce Cal and Connie. They smiled shyly at each other and sat across the table from one another, making small talk. By the end of lunch they had agreed to meet for pizza at Pino's Thursday night. It looked like Cal was going to have a date to Homecoming after all!

Lester, meanwhile, spent the entire lunch cracking jokes and telling me stories about Carlos and his family. He also somehow stole my car keys out of my purse. Don't ask me how he managed that one. My purse was on the table in plain view the entire lunch period, and I never once noticed Lester's hand even _close_ to it. But somehow he managed to steal my keys, move my car to an entirely different part of the parking lot, and then return the keys to my purse before the end of the day.

How did I make this charming discovery? Well, the end of the school day had gone pretty much like the day before. I met Carlos at his locker, minus a scene today, thank goodness. We were walking hand in hand out to the parking lot, talking about our work schedules for the night. I dug my keys out of my purse and walked towards the spot where I had parked my car this morning. And found no car. I started to panic. Obviously someone had stolen my car. It was parked here this morning, and now it was gone. I thought I was going to hyperventilate. Or maybe burst into tears. I was debating whether I should ask Carlos to drive me to work or go back in the building and use the payphone to call my mom when Lester came strolling by.

"Hey, Beautiful!" he called cheerfully. "Missing something?"

I bit my lip and nodded. "My car! Someone stole my car!"

Carlos was massaging my shoulders and trying to reassure me that everything would be OK when Lester's face split into a wide grin. "It's not _stolen; _it's just relocated."

I looked at him like he had two heads. "OK, toMAYto, toMAHto. My freakin' car is still gone, stolen, relocated, what the fuck ever!"

He started laughing so hard that he was bent over at the waist, his hands resting on his knees. He was shaking and gasping for air.

Carlos glared at him. "Lester, what the fuck, man? Stephanie's car is missing. Do you think you could quit being an ass and acting like you're _happy_ about it?"

Lester was trying to talk, but he was still shaking with laughter. "It hasn't been stolen! It's just been moved. I moved it this afternoon."

What?

Carlos arched an eyebrow at him. "What do you mean you moved it?"

Lester grinned. "You know I was always the champion at hide and seek when we were little. I just wanted to up the stakes a little. See if you could find it."

Carlos slapped him on the back of the head. "Not cool, man!"

Lester grinned. "You're just pissed cuz I'm a way better hider. Have fun finding Stephanie's car!" He dodged another smack from Carlos and trotted off to his Mustang, waving as he pulled out of the parking lot.

It took a few minutes, but we finally found my car. It was parked on the complete opposite side of the parking lot, hidden between two pickup trucks. I shook my head as I climbed into my car. I was definitely going to have to pay Lester back for this!

I fastened my seat belt, and Carlos leaned in to give me a quick kiss. "See you at 6:30?" he asked.

I grinned. "Of course!"

"Want me to bring something for dinner?"

"If you want. Or we could just have doughnuts and leftover birthday cake for dinner." I licked my lips. That sounded good to me.

Carlos shook his head. "Babe." I took that to mean that he would be bringing dinner. At least for him.

He closed my door and waved as I headed off to work.

C&S C&S C&S C&S C&S

Carlos did bring dinner for us. When he called his mom from work to say that he was eating dinner with me again, she brought a big bowl of homemade soup and a basket of rolls to his uncle's dealership. She insisted that he shouldn't be eating fast food every night. It wasn't healthy, and it was too expensive. I grinned. His mom sounded sweet.

The soup was delicious, and Carlos and I sat at "our" tall table and talked while we ate it. He told me that his mother wanted me to come over the next night for dinner. If I could manage it, he was supposed to take me to his house right after school so that we all had time to visit.

I agreed and then realized that my mom was possibly making dinner plans with Carl for tomorrow night. I sighed. I'd have to talk with her when I got home tonight.

Carlos looked up when I sighed. "Problem, Babe?" he asked.

I shook my head. "My mom thinks that you agreed to take me to Homecoming in case I couldn't find another date, but that you expected me to still keep _looking_ for another date."

Carlos stiffened a little and looked over at me. "And are you looking for another date?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No! I want to go with you! But my mom is auditioning candidates anyhow. I think she was going to invite Carl to dinner tomorrow night since it was my only night off. I just need to talk with her tonight."

Carlos took both of my hands in his and looked at me very seriously. "Yeah, you do. Because I don't share, Stephanie." He leaned over and captured my lips in a sweet kiss..

He pulled back and I cleared my throat. "Well, I don't share either."

He gave me a small grin. "You're the only girl I plan on spending time with."

I blushed and starting cleaning up the mess we had left from dinner. I washed out his mother's bowl and then Carlos and I started what had become our nightly cleaning routine. For the third night in a row, he mopped and emptied trash while I boxed up leftover cookies, doughnuts, and other assorted pastries. Then I locked the front door and counted down the cash register. We made our bank run, and then Carlos followed me home.

He walked me up to the front door and pulled me close to him. He lowered his mouth to mine and kissed me good night. "Don't forget about dinner tomorrow." He whispered.

I nodded and reached up to give him one more kiss. "I won't."

He smiled and walked back to his car. He waved as he pulled out of the driveway and headed for home.

I sighed and pushed open the front door, calling out "I'm home!"

My dad was in the living room, watching TV from his usual perch. He waved at me as I walked through to the kitchen. Sure enough, I found my mom sifting through recipe cards.

She looked up when I walked in. "Oh, good! You're home! I called Carl's mom, and he's coming over for dinner tomorrow. I was just trying to find my recipe for lemon meringue pie. His mother said that was his favorite dessert."

I took a deep breath. It was now or never. "I can't do dinner tomorrow night, mom."

She wrinkled her brow. "Why not? I thought you were off. Did they ask you to work tomorrow night?"

I shook my head. "No, Carlos's mother invited me to eat dinner at their house tomorrow. I'm going to drop my car off here after school, and Carlos is going to take me to his house to visit and eat. Then he'll bring me back home."

My mother's lips became a thin line. "I don't think that's a good idea, Stephanie."

I held up my hand. "It's only fair, mom. He ate dinner here with us on Sunday. Now I have to go over there. Isn't that how it works? If you accept an invitation to a meal, then you are supposed to extend an invitation?"

My mom nodded reluctantly.

"Well, Carlos accepted my invitation Sunday night. Now he has invited me for tomorrow night. I can't cancel now. I'll look rude."

My mother clearly did not appreciate having her Burg etiquette thrown back in her face as my excuse for spending time with Carlos, but it really left her no choice but to agree. She blew out a deep breath. "Fine! When is the next night you have off?"

I thought about it. "Well, Friday, but that's the football game. And Saturday after detention, but Carlos might want to go to a movie or something. We haven't really talked about it. Probably not until next week."

My mother looked slightly frustrated. "But next week will be too late!"

I raised my eyebrows at her. "Too late for what?"

"Too late for you to find a date for Homecoming!"

I bit the inside of my cheek and clenched my hands into fists so that I wouldn't scream while I was speaking. "For the last time, mother, I _have_ a date to Homecoming. I am going with Carlos. He is not a fill-in. He is not a back up plan. He is my date. I am not planning on replacing him with someone else, so quit trying!"

I walked into the living room to watch TV with my dad. I could hear my mother banging pots and pans around the kitchen, slamming drawers and cupboard doors open and closed. My dad turned the volume up on the TV and looked over at me with his eyebrows raised, silently asking what was going on.

"She's still trying to find me a date for Homecoming. I just told her that I was going with Carlos. Period. End of story. Quit trying to replace him."

My dad grinned at me. "Good. I like that Carlos."

I grinned back. "Yeah, I like that Carlos, too."

Then we settled in to watch TV in comfortable quiet. Well, except for an occasional shriek or bang from the kitchen.

_**TBC**_

_**So we've got the Princess- Steph, the Bad Boy- Carlos, and the athlete- Joe. We still need the Basketcase and the Brain! ;)**_

_**The next chapter is Wednesday! Dinner with the Manosos!**_


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks again for the many reviews and PMs! I just can't seem to leave this story alone, but my obsession is your gain- here is chapter 9! LOL!**

Chapter 9 – Wednesday October 4, 1995

When I made plans with Carlos for dinner, I had completely forgotten that I had majorette practice after school. That was the whole reason that I wasn't scheduled to work on Wednesday in the first place. The majorette line had practice every Wednesday and Friday. The band practiced, and we ran through our routines. On Fridays we usually just hung around after practice and waited for the football game to begin. Sometimes we'd grab a slice of pizza in between and sometimes we'd just sit around and gossip.

There was no way that I could miss tonight's practice without my advisor killing me. Tonight was fire baton practice. Every year at Homecoming, the majorettes do one fire baton routine. It's a really big deal. We start practicing it in August and work on it for the next two months. At halftime, the athletic director turns off all of the stadium lights so that all you see is the fire batons. The crowd goes crazy. They scream so loud for the first part of the song that sometimes it's hard to hear the band. If I skipped practice today, she would most likely threaten to pull me from the routine. And there was no way that I wanted that to happen. It was one of the best things about being a majorette. It ranked right up there with band camp, majorette camp, and the cool knee high boots!

I pulled into the school parking lot and looked for Carlos. Spotting him, I hopped out and walked over to his group. He grinned and pulled me into a hug against him. "Morning, Babe." He squeezed me a little tighter.

I wrapped my arms around his waist and gave him a squeeze back. "Morning, Batman!"

The other guys called out their hellos, and I smiled and greeted them back.

"Did you get everything straightened out over dinner tonight?"

I bit my lip. "Yes and no."

I saw a flicker of something in Carlos's eyes. Disappointment? Hurt? Worry? I knew that I had to explain quickly before he came up with the wrong idea.

"I am definitely coming over for dinner tonight. I just can't come over right after school." I put my hands on his chest and looked up. His eyes had calmed a little bit. He no longer looked so upset, although there was still a trace of uncertainty there.

He brushed his finger across my cheek. "Why not?"

"I forgot that I have majorette practice after school today. That's the reason that I had today off in the first place. You can wait and watch if you want, or you can just pick me up at my house when we're done. We usually finish around 4:30."

Carlos leaned down and kissed my forehead. "I'll wait."

"Will your mom be OK with us coming over a little later? I know she wanted us to go to your house right after school." I hoped that I wasn't making a bad impression on Carlos's mother before I even met her.

Carlos just shook his head. "It'll be fine. We don't usually eat until some time around 6:00. She just wanted a chance to interrogate you and show you embarrassing baby pictures."

I felt my stomach drop. "Interrogate me?" I squeaked.

Carlos laughed. "Sure. She wants to know all about you. Your favorite color, what size shoe you wear, and your favorite brand of ketchup."

I smacked him lightly on the chest. "It's not funny, Mister! This is a big deal for me, you know! I'm nervous about meeting your family already. You don't have to scare me by using words like interrogate!"

Carlos grinned. "Stephanie, my family will love you. Quit worrying!"

Lester wagged his eyebrows up and down. "And if Tia Maria runs out of time to show you embarrassing baby pictures of her little Carlitos, you just let me know! I have tons of them at my house, too!"

Carlos glared at Lester, and I couldn't help but grin as the two of them argued back and forth about who was the cuter baby.

"Well, Lester, I don't know if I'll need your help to embarrass Carlos, but I may need Carlos's help to embarrass you." I informed him.

Lester's eyes widened in shock, and he clutched his heart. "Beautiful! Why would you want to embarrass me?" he teased.

I stuck my hand on my hip and narrowed my eyes. "Because you stole my car yesterday, that's why!"

Lester's eyes gleamed with mischief. "Would I do a thing like that?"

I smirked at him. "You're goin' down, Lester! When you least suspect it, I'm gonna nail your ass to the wall!"

Lester grinned. "You can have my ass whenever you want, Stephanie! Just name the time and place!"

"Santos!" Carlos barked, giving him a shove in the chest.

I choked out a laugh and wrapped my arms back around Carlos's waist, resting my cheek against his chest. "Your days are numbered!" I told Lester.

He just laughed and turned towards the building.

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The day flew by, and before I knew it, it was time for majorette practice. I grabbed my duffel bag out of my locker and headed for the bathroom. When we were doing fire batons, we couldn't have any loose clothing on, and our hair had to be pulled back. I stepped into a stall and stripped out of my jeans and sweater. I pulled on a pair of spandex bike shorts and a tank top that ended at my hips. It was just a little bit loose, but there wasn't enough excess fabric to get in the way. I pulled my hair back in a messy bun and stuffed my school clothes into my bag. I walked out to the field to stretch with the other girls.

Daydreaming, I dipped the end of my fire baton into the lamp oil and waited for the liquid to soak into the fabric. Eating dinner with Carlos's family tonight was a big deal for me. Living in the Burg, you don't often meet someone that you know absolutely nothing about. For instance, even though Dickie's family is wealthy and runs in completely different social circles, I could tell you just about anything you'd want to know about his family. I know his parents' names, siblings' names, where his parents work, where they live, and what kind of cars they drive. If I made a few well-placed calls, I could tell you if his dad is cheating on his mom (_yes, with his secretary_), where they went on vacation last year (_a bus tour through Europe- Holland, Germany, England, France, & Switzerland_), and what brand of cereal they prefer (_Frosted Flakes_ or _Cheerios_).

In the Burg, if you haven't met someone before, all you need to do is ask a few people, and you can find out anything as well as get a recommendation on that person's behavior and character. The fact that I was walking into this dinner with no advance knowledge at all about Carlos's family made me feel a little uneasy.

I lifted the baton out of the oil and walked away from the other girls. I flicked the baton up and down sharply, shaking the extra oil off, and lit both ends with my fire starter. My eyes flicked over to the bleachers, and I saw Carlos watching me. I gave him a little finger wave, and he grinned and lifted his hand in hello.

One of the other majorettes, Joy, saw him and sucked in a deep breath. "Who's that guy sitting in the bleachers?"

"Carlos Manoso."

She turned to look at me. "Is he here to watch _you_?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Yeah, why?"

She looked at me, her eyes bugged. "Are you guys seeing each other?"

I concentrated on keeping my baton spinning fast enough that the flames stayed away from my arms. "Yep. He's my date to Homecoming."

Joy looked positively shocked. "You're kidding, right?"

I raised my eyebrows at her. "No."

Joy lit her batons and started twirling them. "Stephanie, he looks like a thug for crying out loud! That whole group from St. Peter dresses in all black practically every day. It's like they're in a gang or something."

I glared at her. "Thanks so much for your input."

She continued. "I mean, he's hot, I'll give you that. But what the hell were you thinking? Couldn't you find a date from the Burg?"

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and I would have liked nothing better than to strangle her with my bare hands. "I'm thinking that I'm a girl who can make her own decisions without input from anyone else. And not that it's any of your business, but I _had_ a date from the Burg, and he was an ass."

Joy frowned at me. "Well, just watch yourself around him, Steph. He looks like trouble."

"Thanks for your concern." I told her in my snarkiest voice. Then I moved into my position on the field and listened for the music to start.

We went over and over and over the routine until I was pretty sure that I would be hearing "Back in Black" in my nightmares. Why do all marching bands play oldies, show tunes, or heavy metal songs? Gah!

When we were finally done, Pammy held my fire baton containers. I dropped the two flaming batons inside and put the caps on them, extinguishing the flames. Then I picked up her containers and held them for her so that she could put hers out as well. Most people were scared to death of the fire batons because they thought they would immediately burst into flames if they so much as touched one. Really, though, your natural reaction is to jerk away from something hot, so it's very rare for anyone to get seriously burnt by one. What is much more common is to singe off all of your arm hair. I examined my forearms. Mine didn't look too bad today. Thank God for small favors!

I was gathering up my stuff when Carlos walked over. Some of the other girls started preening when they saw him. Kelly bent over "to tie her shoe," placing her ass as high up in the air as she could get it. I rolled my eyes. Slut!

Carlos came over and gave me a huge grin. "Babe, you're awesome!" he complimented me.

I grinned. "I know! And I can twirl two fire batons, too!" I teased.

He chuckled and grabbed my bag, lifting it as if it weighed nothing. "I can get that!" I protested.

He smirked. "I know, but isn't this the sort of thing that a boyfriend does? Carry heavy bags, open car doors, buy popcorn?"

My heart leapt just a little bit when he called himself my boyfriend. "Yep, I guess so!" I agreed.

We headed for the parking lot, but of course my car was not where I had left it this morning. "Lester!" I growled.

Carlos just smiled. "I feel your pain, Babe. Just remember. I've had to put up with him for eighteen years now! You've only known him for six days."

I shook my head. "You are a saint for not killing him by now!"

"We'll get him back, Babe. You just have to be patient and wait for the perfect opportunity to come along."

Finding my car was a little bit easier since school had been out for a while. The parking lot was mostly cleared out. The only cars remaining belonged to those who were staying after school, and there weren't too many meetings or practices on Wednesday nights.

We found my car, and Carlos helped me load my bag, books, and batons into the back seat.

"I'll follow you to your house." He told me before heading off in the direction of his car.

C&S C&S C&S C&S C&S

When we got back to my house, I ran inside and threw my majorette bag on my bedroom floor. I pulled my hair out of its bun and finger combed the curls. I pulled my jeans and sweater back on and ran out the door, calling goodbye to my mom.

I slid into the front seat of Carlos's car, and he grinned and patted the middle of the bench seat, wanting me to slide over next to him. I blushed and slid over, fastening the lap belt. He backed out of my driveway and then put his arm around me. I rested my head on his shoulder and smiled to myself. Although I thought sports cars were hot, I was secretly glad that Carlos drove an older family car. Right now, bench seats topped bucket seats in my mind!

We pulled into the driveway of a modest two story house, and I took a deep breath. He took both of my hands and kissed them. "Relax, Babe." He whispered. "I promise everything will be fine."

I nodded and allowed him to pull me out the driver's side door after him.

The front door opened before we reached the porch, and a smiling woman stood there with her arms out. She crossed the porch and gave me a warm hug. "You must be Stephanie!" I nodded.

"We've heard so much about you, dear! I'm Carlos's mother, Maria."

I smiled shyly. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Manoso."

A man stood behind her who had to be Carlos's father. He was tall and good looking, his hair graying just slightly at the temples. He held his hand out. "Ricardo Manoso." He introduced himself, smiling warmly at me.

I blushed. "Thank you so much for inviting me to dinner. It's so nice to meet Carlos's family."

His father grinned and motioned for us to follow him. "The rest of the family is in the living room."

Carlos held my hand, and we walked further into the house. His dad wasn't kidding when he said that the rest of them were there. I met Carlos's Abuela Rosa, his sister Celia and her boyfriend Manuel, his sister Alicia, and his brother Julio and very pregnant sister-in-law Pilar.

"You have a big family!" I whispered to Carlos.

He smiled and kissed my nose. "I have two more sisters, but they're not here tonight. Carmen is away at college and Isabel is married and lives in New York."

I shook my head. I couldn't imagine growing up with that many brothers and sisters. Some days I couldn't stand _one_ Valerie! I couldn't imagine having _four_ Valeries!

True to Carlos's promise this morning in the parking lot, Abuela Rosa pulled out the family photo albums and patted the couch next to her. Carlos sat next to me and groaned as Abuela Rosa showed me pictures, commenting in halting English about how adorable her little Carlitos was. I had to agree. He _was_ an adorable baby.

Because we had arrived so late, Carlos's mother had dinner almost ready. Much to Carlos's relief, I didn't get to spend too much time looking at family photos before it was time to eat.

Dinner was delicious! Carlos's mother had made pork with spicy seasonings, beans, and rice. There was a salad that consisted mostly of lettuce, tomatoes, and avocados; fresh homemade bread; and flan for dessert. Conversation was light and friendly, sometimes teasing. It was a lot more pleasant than eating dinner at my house! My mother usually used dinner as her chance to lecture or grill me. I think she figured that she had me as a captive audience. If I wanted to eat, I had to sit there and put up with whatever she was upset about that day.

Carlos's sisters made an effort to include me in the conversation, asking me about the different teachers at school, but mostly I sat and listened happily as they all caught up with one another. The one time that Alicia had tried to ask about Carlos and I dating, I caught him glaring at her, and she changed the subject. After my panic this morning at school, I had a feeling that Carlos was going out of his way to make sure that I wasn't interrogated by his family.

After dinner, everyone helped to carry the dishes into the kitchen and sit them on the counter. The table was completely cleared and wiped off, and then Carlos's grandmother came back in with several boxes of cards. She began passing them out, giving each person their own deck. Everyone opened their pack and began shuffling with big grins on their faces.

I looked over at Carlos questioningly, and he looked back at me with the same grin that everyone else was wearing. "Do you like to play cards, Babe?" he asked.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Yeah." My family had never been big on games- card games, board games, or any other kind of games. My mother thought they were a waste of time. When we were little, my dad would play some with Valerie and me- mostly Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders, or Go Fish. But it had been a while since I had played any kind of game.

Carlos's mother sat down across from me and patted my hand. "Do you know how to play Solitaire, dear?" she asked.

I nodded.

"Well, whenever we have a big family dinner, we play a game that is similar to Solitaire. Except that instead of playing by yourself, we all play together. We put all of our aces in the middle of the table, and everyone plays on everybody else's aces. At the end of the game, we count up the cards that have been played. The person who played the most cards is the winner."

Carlos's sister Celia smiled wickedly from across the table. "But you should know that we're pretty competitive, Stephanie! People have been known to end up with scratches and bruises from this game! Sometimes we even draw blood!"

I raised my eyebrows and looked over at Carlos. He looked like he was trying very hard not to laugh. "It'll be OK, Babe." He reassured me. Then as his Abuela continued passing around the cards, he leaned down to whisper in my ear. "If you get a scratch, I'll kiss it all better."

My face flooded with color as I snapped my wide eyes up to look at him. That made him laugh out loud, and he leaned over and kissed the top of my head.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught his mother watching us with a big smile on her face.

I shuffled my cards and set out the piles in front of me. I waited while everyone else got theirs ready. When the last person had set their last card down, Carlos's father said "Go!" and all hell broke loose! I thought for sure that Celia and Carlos had been exaggerating, but they weren't. Carlos's brother Julio nearly jumped across the table to slam a three of hearts on a stack before Manuel could make the play. Then I watched as Carlos's dad and Alicia both tried to play the two of clubs on the same stack. Alicia slid her card underneath her dad's and triumphantly declared, "Mine's on the bottom!" Evidently, that was the deciding rule. Whoever's card was on the bottom was the winner. It meant that their card was played first.

"_Espera! Espera! Espera!"_ Abuela Rosa cried. This only made everyone else at the table laugh and tease her in Spanish.

I leaned over to Carlos. "What does _espera_ mean?" I whispered.

Carlos chuckled. "It means 'wait.' Abuela always wants to play, but then she gets mad and says we go too fast, so she starts yelling at us. Wait, wait, wait!"

I grinned and looked down at Abuela Rosa. She would pick up a card and go to play it, but before she could get it on the stack, someone else would slide theirs on. She would huff and then grab another card to play, but the same thing would happen again. After missing three plays in a row, she slammed her hand down on the table and glared at Carlos. He had beat her to the five of hearts on the last play. She pointed her finger at him and growled, "_mierda cabeza!_"

Carlos tipped his head back and roared with laughter, still playing. He clucked his tongue disapprovingly and looked over at his grandmother. "Abuela!" he said in a mock shocked voice. "We have company!"

Abuela Rosa huffed. "Then I'd think you'd play nicer with your Abuela!" she snapped back at him.

He just grinned and shook his head, moving cards around in front of him.

"What does _mierda cabeza_ mean?" I asked Carlos.

He smirked. "Shit head. That's practically my Abuela's pet name for all of us."

I must have looked shocked because Carlos shook his head. "She doesn't mean it, Babe. That's just what she yells whenever she's losing pitifully!" He said the last part extra loud so that Abuela Rosa could hear it at the end of the table.

She stuck her tongue out at Carlos and slammed a card down on one of the stacks. I was going to have to introduce Abuela Rosa to Grandma Mazur! The two of them would get along famously!

I bit my lip and tried not to laugh out loud as I shuffled through my cards, looking for any plays that I could make.

I grabbed my eight of spades and went to play it at the same time that Carlos tried to play his. I angled my card under his and flipped it back at him. "Mine's on the bottom." I said sweetly, grinning at him.

He laughed and leaned over to kiss me on the cheek. "You win, Babe!" he told me as he pulled his card back.

When it looked like everyone had made all the plays they could, the cards in the middle were separated and counted. Alicia had won, and she pumped her fist in the air and did a little victory dance. I laughed out loud watching her. The Manosos certainly took their games seriously!

"Another game?" Celia asked, looking in my direction.

Everyone looked over at me, and I grinned and nodded. "Sure." They all seemed happy with that answer, and a second game was well underway in just a few minutes.

Carlos's mother won the second game. After the cards had been counted and she had been declared the official winner, she stood up from the table. "I think I'll quit while I'm ahead and get started on those dishes."

I stood up. "I'll help you wash the dishes." I offered.

She beamed at my offer. "You don't have to help, but I'd appreciate the company if you want to come in and visit with me."

I nodded. "Sure."

I thought I heard Carlos groan as I walked into the kitchen.

Mrs. Manoso was very efficient. She had all of the plates scraped off into the trash in just a few minutes. She opened the dishwasher and began rinsing plates and loading them.

She glanced up at me. "So, Stephanie. Tell me how you and Carlos met."

I smiled. "He helped me get my car started Friday night after the football game." She smiled and nodded encouragingly, so I kept going. "My trunk light stays on sometimes, and it must have drained the battery. I would have been stuck at the football field, but Carlos got it started."

She kept stacking plates in the bottom rack. "Yes, he is very good with cars. He works at his uncle's dealership quite a bit. I think he's picked up a lot from the mechanics there."

I nodded. He had mentioned that he worked there after school.

"So Carlos asked you to Homecoming?" she fished.

"Well kind of." I blushed.

Her head snapped up, and she looked at me closely. "You're not going to Homecoming with Carlos?"

"Oh, no! That's not what I meant! I mean, yes! Yes, we're going together!" I stumbled over my words.

"But you asked him?" she asked confused.

My cheeks burned. "Well, actually, I _had_ a date for Homecoming until last Saturday. But, he, um…. He… well." I cleared my throat. "My dad kind of forbade me to see him again after Saturday."

Mrs. Manoso raised an eyebrow, but she didn't say anything.

"My mom was upset that my dad wouldn't let my date take me to the dance. She went on and on about how it was my senior year and I couldn't miss Homecoming. And Carlos offered to take me instead."

She studied my face. "Do you _want_ to go with Carlos?"

A huge grin spread across my face. "Yes."

Carlos's mom seemed pleased with my enthusiastic reply. Her eyes twinkled. "You like my Carlitos?"

I bit my lip and nodded.

She smiled then and patted my arm.

After that, the topic of conversation shifted to much less interesting topics- my job at the Tasty Pastry, my family, and what I wanted to do after high school among others.

The kitchen was almost cleaned up when Mrs. Manoso brought up the topic of Homecoming again. "Do you have a dress yet, dear?" she asked.

I grinned and nodded. "My mother and I actually found it this summer, before I even had a date. We weren't really looking, but we saw the dress, and I just had to try it on."

"What color is it?"

"It's a sequined tank dress. The straps and top of the neckline are silver, and the rest of the dress is a bright blue."

Mrs. Manoso clapped her hands together. "That will look so lovely with your blue eyes!" she gushed.

I smiled, not used to the flattery or excited behavior. Of course, Mary Lou and Connie were appropriately giddy when I showed them the dress, but my mom was much more sedate. She liked the dress, I could tell, but she had just smiled and nodded politely and told me that it looked very nice.

Carlos's mother held both of my hands in hers. "Would you bring it over so that I can see it?"

I bit my lip. "I kind of wanted Carlos to see it for the first time next Saturday. It might lose its 'wow factor' if he sees me wearing it with my hair pulled up in a ponytail and ratty gym socks."

Carlos's mother laughed. "Of course, dear, of course! I didn't mean for Carlos to see it. Just me. I am so excited to look at your beautiful dress! And this is the first year that I don't have a young girl to buy a dress for. Our Alicia graduated last year, and only Carlos is still in high school. I kind of miss the excitement of looking for the dress and shoes and all the accessories!"

I smiled. "Well, I already have the shoes. We bought them when we bought the dress, but I do still need to get jewelry for it. Would you want to help me look?"

Mrs. Manoso beamed. She held my face in her hands and kissed me on both cheeks. Her eyes were bright with happy tears, and she dabbed at them with a napkin. "You bring your dress and shoes over here, and I'll bet we can find you some costume jewelry that will work. We have four daughters. They each went to 4 Homecomings and 2 or 3 Proms. We have necklaces, earrings, and bracelets in every color and style imaginable! But if you can't find something that you like, I would be happy to help you look!"

I smiled back at her. "That's very sweet of you to offer to lend me something. Are you sure Carlos's sisters wouldn't mind?"

She waved her hand dismissively. "They have dozens of cousins and other relatives. Once they are done with something like that, it almost always gets loaned out. In fact, I could call some of my relatives and gather up a few more choices for you! Something silver and blue, right?"

I nodded my head. "That's what I was going to look for."

She smiled. "I'll see what I can find. Now, we just have to figure out a time when you can come back over and take a look."

"How about this Saturday? Maybe around 4:30?" I figured Carlos could bring me back to his house after our detention. Then we could spend the evening together- either watching a movie in or going out for pizza, whatever he wanted to do.

"Saturday at 4:30 it is!" she agreed enthusiastically.

We headed back into the dining room, where another card game was just wrapping up. Carlos's mother announced that I was coming over on Saturday to go through jewelry for Homecoming and asked Pilar, Celia, and Alicia to gather up anything they had that was blue and silver. Then she instructed them to call their cousins and friends to see if they had anything that could be loaned out. I had a feeling that I was going to have a _lot_ of options!

When Carlos heard the plan for Saturday, he looked at me and raised one eyebrow. I shrugged back at him in a _what could I do_ kind of way.

I said goodbyes all around the table and got hugs from everyone. Mrs. Manoso kissed both cheeks and smiled warmly at me. "You are welcome here anytime, Stephanie, anytime! It has been a pleasure meeting you!"

I blushed. "Thank you so much for inviting me over for dinner. Everything tasted wonderful, and I had a lot of fun. It was so nice to meet you all!"

Carlos scooted me out the door then before his family could start a second round of hugs and kisses.

Once we were in the car, Carlos grabbed my hand and raised it to his lips. "I told you they would love you!" he teased.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Your family is wonderful!"

He grinned back. "They can be. Mama certainly seems to like you. You do realize that half the neighborhood will be donating items for you to look over on Saturday, right?"

I wrinkled my forehead in confusion. "Huh? Your mother just said she'd check with a few of your cousins and some of your sisters' friends."

Carlos chuckled. "Babe, this neighborhood is the Cuban equivalent of the Burg. Everybody is either related to or good friends with everyone else. Imagine how many people in your neighborhood you could call and borrow a necklace from."

My eyes widened. "Your mom doesn't have to go to all that trouble, Carlos!"

"If she offered, then that means that she wants to do it. Just be prepared for a ton of choices."

I nodded and squeezed Carlos's hand, absently tracing circles over the back with my thumb.

Carlos parked in my driveway, and I went to scoot across the seat to get out, but he tugged lightly on my hand to stop me. I turned back towards him to see what he wanted, and his hands cupped my face. He lowered his face down towards mine and began kissing me urgently. His tongue traced my mouth, and I sighed and parted my lips, allowing his tongue in. His hands tangled in my hair then, pushing me closer to him. I moaned and reached my hands up to play in his long silky strands. Before long, he pulled back, breathing hard. He rested his forehead against mine, and I managed to pant, "Holy hot flash, Batman!"

He chuckled and answered in a husky voice. "I've been thinking about doing that all day."

I leaned up to kiss him again, but the porch light blinked on. I sighed, frustrated. Clearly my mom was not happy with me making out in the driveway with Carlos.

Carlos shook his head and climbed out of the car, pulling me across the seat and out his door as well. We walked up to the porch, and he gave me a much more parent friendly kiss before whispering, "Sweet dreams!" in my ear.

My dreams were definitely going to be sweet, because they would all be about him!

_**TBC**_

_**Don't be surprised if we don't meet the Basketcase and the Brain before the detention day. Remember that these kids all run in different crowds, so they would have no reason to know or care if someone from another group ended up with a detention.**_


	10. Chapter 10

**Thursday, October 5, 1995**

Our cafeteria had two lunch lines- the full lunch line which had the school's hot lunch for the day and the a la carte line. The a la carte line had mostly snack foods- chips, candy bars, and snack cakes. Of course, my lunch usually consisted of items from the a la carte line. My "go to" lunch was a can of Dr. Pepper, a bag of Doritos, and a Snickers bar. Hey! The Snickers bar has milk chocolate- that's dairy! It's brown like meat, and it has nuts- protein! The Doritos have cheese- dairy! And the Dr. Pepper is cherry flavored- fruit! That's what I call a well balanced meal!

I was walking out of the a la carte line and headed towards the table Mary Lou, Connie, and the guys were sitting at when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around to see who had stopped me. Dickie. I felt my jaw and fists tighten instantly.

"Hey, Steph!" He greeted me as if the movie theater incident had never happened.

I glared back at him. "Dickie."

He gave me a sexy pout. "Aww, you're not still mad at me over Saturday night, are you?"

I blew out a frustrated sigh. "What do you want, Dickie?"

He grinned. "I just wanted to see what color your dress is. You never told me, and I still have to get my tie and your corsage."

I just stared at him in disbelief. How could he possibly think that I would still want to go to Homecoming with him? A better question would be why did he still _want_ me to go with him? He had pretty much said that he expected sex, and I clearly wasn't going to provide that for him. So why wasn't he looking for another date?

His forehead wrinkled in confusion. "Steph?"

I blinked and looked at him. "Dickie…" I started.

He interrupted me. "Look, I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable Saturday night. I thought we were on the same page."

I nodded. "Thanks for the apology, but I think…"

He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and began guiding me towards his table. "Come and sit with me. We can talk about what you want to do after the dance. You wanna get dinner after? There's a whole group that's doing dinner and bowling. Or we could head to Point Pleasant. Luke's family has a beach house there, and he's throwing an after party. Bonfire on the beach, the whole deal."

I stopped walking and just stared at him. He finally stopped and turned to look at me.

I shook my head. "Dickie, I'm not going to Homecoming with you."

He glared at me. "Why not?"

I glared back. "Because you were a jerk Saturday night! You left me at the movie theater because I wouldn't put out, and I had to find my own way home."

His hands clenched into fists. "I didn't leave you there. I offered you a ride home. You're the one who chose to take a ride from the Spic instead of me."

I wanted to slap him across the face, but Principal Marco was in charge of supervising the cafeteria during lunch, and he was already taking quite an interest in our conversation. In fact, he had stood up and started walking in our direction.

Instead, I settled for hissing back at him. "Like I would accept a ride home from you after what you'd done! And don't call him that!"

Someone slung a muscular arm around my shoulder, and I turned to find Lester. Tank, Cal, and Hal were right behind him.

"So that's it, huh?" Dickie asked. "This is the kind of crowd you'd rather associate with? You're going to leave me without a date to Homecoming so that you can hang out with some gangbangers. Fabulous, Stephanie. I'm sure your parents are thrilled."

I felt Lester's arm tense, and I knew he was angry. Hell, I was angry _for_ him!

I poked Dickie in the chest with my finger. "For your information, my father _likes_ Carlos. _You_ are the one he said wasn't allowed to take me to the dance."

Dickie's eyes widened in disbelief, and he snorted. "Yeah, right! You don't actually expect me to believe that your father chose a group of criminals over me!"

I lifted one shoulder. "Think whatever you want, Dickie. But I will warn you that my dad told my mom this morning that if he ever found you in our house, he would toss you out on your ass."

"Miss Plum, language!" Marco had come up behind me without my noticing, and he was just in time to hear my last comment. Of course. _Crap!_

I blushed and nodded. "Sorry, Mr. Marco."

He nodded back at me. "Now. What seems to be the problem here?"

I looked over at Dickie who flashed Marco a wide, charming grin. "No problem, sir. Stephanie and I were just making arrangements for Homecoming."

I rolled my eyes and took a deep breath. I tried to give myself a mental pep talk. _I will not punch Dickie. I will not punch Dickie._

Marco's eyes shifted to me, and he raised his eyebrows in question.

I plastered a fake smile on my face. "No problem, sir. Dickie was just telling me what he and his date will be up to that night, and I was telling him about my plans for the evening."

Dickie narrowed his eyes at my comment, and Mr. Marco looked between the two of us.

"I take it that the two of you are not going together then?" he asked.

"No, sir." I answered at the same time that Dickie said "Yes, we are."

Mr. Marco's lips hinted at a slight grin. He looked over at Dickie. "In my experience, son, if the girl says she's not going with you, you need to find another date."

Dickie clenched his fists and dropped his head. Through gritted teeth, he managed a "Yes, sir."

Marco waved his hand at the group of us. "Now, let's all sit down and finish our lunches. There's only 15 minutes left before the bell."

I scurried over to my table, the guys right behind me. As soon as I sat down, Connie and Mary Lou pounced. "What did Dickie want? What was that all about? What did Marco say?"

I held up my hand as I tore open my Snickers and popped the tab on my Dr. Pepper. I needed caffeine and sugar, and I needed it _now!_ I put the Snickers bar in my mouth and bit down, tearing off a giant hunk with my teeth. I moaned as I washed it down with a huge gulp of pop. Oh, God! That was good!

I looked up and noticed that Cal and Lester were looking back at me with slightly pained expressions.

"What?" I asked huffily. If they were going to lecture me on my lunch, I'd move to a different table!

"Nothing, nothing!" they muttered, waving their hands in the air and squirming in their seats.

I glared at them, but neither seemed inclined to elaborate on whatever was bothering them, so I turned back to Connie and Mary Lou. I explained about Dickie and his asinine belief that we were still going to Homecoming together.

Connie's eyes were so wide that they nearly popped right out of her head. "Is he an idiot?" she squeaked.

My mouth was full of Doritos, so I just nodded. Yep, I was pretty sure that the Dickster was in fact a giant idiot.

Mary Lou shook her head. "Did you tell him that you were going with Carlos?"

I washed the chips down with my Dr. Pepper. "Well, I didn't come right out and _say_ that Carlos was taking me, but I think he can figure it out from what _was_ said."

Connie just shook her head. "I usually tape Days of Our Lives during the day and watch it when I get home from school, but lately your life has been more interesting than a soap opera!"

I stuck my tongue out at her and changed the subject, asking her and Cal if their pizza date was still on for that night. They both blushed and nodded, stealing glances at one another out of the corner of their eyes. Connie turned her head and grinned, and Cal winked at me when Connie wasn't looking. It seemed as though my two friends were getting along pretty well!

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As always happens when you want time to pass quickly, the afternoon drug by excruciatingly slowly. I had looked over at the clock so many times during History that Mr. Washington probably thought I had a nervous tic.

But by far the worst class had been computers. It was one of the few that I had with Dickie. He had spent the whole period looking dejected and being consoled by the three girls who sat around him. They kept shooting daggers my way and then rubbing Dickie's arm or whispering things to him while glaring pointedly at me. Hmm… Bet I could guess what they were saying. Or the gist of it at least!

I rolled my eyes at them and tried to concentrate on the spreadsheet I was supposed to be creating. I didn't care what they thought of me. Really. But was it too much to ask that people at least found out the whole story before they judged? I shook my head. _Stephanie, Stephanie!_ I scolded myself. _This is the Burg. It doesn't matter what's true. All that matters is what makes for the juiciest story. Plus, Dickie is a good looking single guy from a wealthy family. What girl wouldn't want to comfort him?_ This girl. That's who. I bit my lip to keep from snickering at that thought.

C&S C&S C&S C&S C&S

Carlos frowned when I met him at his locker at the end of the day. "What's this I hear about Dickie talking to you at lunch?"

I huffed out a breath. "It was nothing."

Carlos raised an eyebrow at me. "According to Lester, it was far from _nothing_, Babe."

I shrugged and turned, walking down the hall. "He was under the delusion that we were still going to Homecoming together. He wanted to talk about what color my dress was and what I wanted to do after the dance."

Carlos grabbed my hand and tugged me back to him. His forehead was creased, and his mouth was tight. "Does he still think you're going together?"

I shook my head. "No. I made it very clear that I have no intention of going with him."

Carlos relaxed and laced his fingers through mine. We started walking silently towards the parking lot. He gently bumped my shoulder with his. "So what _would _you like to do after the dance?"

I turned towards him and grinned. "Anything you want. But if you take me somewhere that has a chocolate dessert, you'll be my favorite person in the whole world."

He grinned back. "The Tasty Pastry it is!" he teased.

I smacked him lightly on the arm. "Har, har!"

He laughed. "So what options did Dickie give you?"

I rolled my eyes. "Dinner, bowling, or an after party at one of his friend's beach houses."

Carlos nodded thoughtfully. "Any of those sound good to you?"

I shrugged. "Well, I love the beach. It's one of my favorite places. But food ranks pretty high on the list as well. It doesn't really matter to me. Whatever you want to do is fine."

At that statement, Carlos stopped me and put his hands on my shoulders. "Do you trust me to plan something that you'll like?"

I looked into his eyes. "Of course."

He smiled and leaned down to brush my lips with a sweet kiss. "Good."

I looked at him questioningly. "Wait a minute! Does this mean that you aren't going to tell me what you're planning?"

Carlos grinned mischievously, and I groaned. I can't _stand _secrets! The only way that I like a surprise is if I don't know about it ahead of time. Like if my grandma walked in the door and said, "Surprise! I made us an appointment to get manicures this afternoon!" That would be a fun surprise. On the other hand, if I _know_ that someone has a secret, it drives me absolutely crazy! I end up hounding them until they just give in and tell me. Or I try to wheedle enough clues out of them that I can guess what they're planning.

I figured now was as good a time as any to start pumping Carlos for information. Pushing my lower lip out in a pout, I batted my eyelashes at him. "Aren't you even going to give me a hint?"

He grinned and shook his head.

"Not even one little eensy weensy clue?"

He grinned wider and leaned down to nip my lower lip. "You're cute when you pout." He whispered.

I glared at him and turned to stomp off towards my car. Well, where my car had been this morning. "Lester!" I growled.

Carlos laughed and walked me to the opposite end of the parking lot.

"I'm putting a car alarm on this thing!" I huffed. "That'll show him!"

"Patience, Babe." Carlos soothed. "He'll get his!"

I threw my books into the front seat. "Not soon enough!" I griped.

He shook his head and pinned me against the side of the car. My heart rate sped up as my fingertips traced his muscular chest. _The guy must get up at a ridiculous time in the morning to run and lift weights, because he spent every evening with me!_

Carlos leaned down and whispered in my ear, "5 am" before his tongue started tracing the shell of my ear.

"What about 5 am?" I asked huskily, my eyelids half closed.

"That's the ridiculously early time I get up to run and lift weights. Because you're right. I'd rather spend every evening with you." He nipped my earlobe and tugged it gently with his teeth, causing me to gasp.

He buried his fingers in my hair and pulled my face to his. His lips were on mine in an instant, and he was kissing me hungrily. I felt a jolt of electricity move down from my belly, and my legs turned to Jell-O. It was a good thing that he had me pinned against the car because otherwise I would have slithered to the ground.

He pulled back and leaned his forehead against mine, staring into my eyes.

"What was that?" I panted.

He kissed the tip of my nose and pushed back. "Just something to remember me by." He smirked.

I shook my head. Well he was right about that! There was no way that I could forget a kiss like that!

"You have plans for dinner, Babe?" he asked as I climbed into my car.

I smiled and shook my head no. "You planning on spoiling me every night with dinner, Carlos?"

He grinned. "Of course."

He closed my door and waved as I drove off to the Tasty Pastry.

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True to his word, Carlos showed up around 6:30 with his mother's roasted chicken and vegetables. We dished up the food and sat down to eat.

Carlos stole a green bean off of my plate. "So what are your plans for after the game tomorrow?"

I snagged a red pepper off of his plate. "Well, I was kind of hoping that the hot Cuban guy who started my car last week would want to do something."

He grinned. "I guarantee he's available."

I smiled. "Good to know. Any idea what he'd like to do after the game?"

Carlos leaned back in his seat. "I predict he'd be willing to do just about anything the cute little curly haired majorette wanted to do."

He thought I was cute! My heart swelled a little.

"So what would you like to do, Babe?" he asked.

I bit my lip. There was no way I could afford to go anywhere after the game. Well, maybe Taco Bell. But only if I ordered one taco and brought my own drink from home. Yeah, it was that desperate.

"You want to just hang out at your house? Or watch a movie at my house?" I suggested innocently.

Carlos raised one eyebrow. "My family would be thrilled to see you again, but wouldn't you rather get pizza or a burger or something?"

I shrugged and used my fork to push the veggies around on my plate. "I'm fine with just staying in."

Carlos used a finger to lift my chin. He studied my face, and I blushed under his gaze.

"Are you worried about paying to go out somewhere?" he asked softly.

I lowered my eyes and nodded. "Sorry, Carlos. If we could just stay in for a couple of weeks, I should be able to get caught up. Then we can do pizza and movies out."

He shook his head. "Stephanie, I was planning on buying."

I looked up at him. I was a Burg girl. I was used to guys paying for dates. But somehow Carlos was different. I didn't want him to think that I was taking advantage of him. I really cared about him, and I wanted to do nice things for him, too.

"I appreciate that, but you bought last time. The last _two_ times, in fact. Plus you've been bringing me dinner every night!"

He shrugged. "And?"

"And _I_ want to do something nice for _you._" I chewed on my lip, trying to think of something we could do. "We could always make cookies and watch a movie at my house, but that means that we'd have to deal with my mom." I blew out a sigh, making the curls across my forehead flutter.

Carlos leaned over and nuzzled my neck. "We can go back to my house and watch a movie. We can even make cookies if you want."

I moaned. _I did want! I wanted whatever he wanted._

Carlos chuckled. "Good to know, Babe! But for tomorrow night, I think cookies and a movie will do."

I blushed furiously. Damn it! When was I going to stop thinking out loud?

I cleared my throat. "Tomorrow's an away game, so I have to ride the bus to the game."

He nodded. "Can you ride back with me? Or do you have to ride the bus back?"

"I can ride back with you if I have a note from my parents."

Carlos raised an eyebrow. "Would your mom let you ride back with me?"

"Probably not." I admitted. "But my dad will."

Carlos grinned. "That'll work."

"So we're doing cookies and a movie at your house?" I clarified. "You're sure you're OK with that?"

He nodded and leaned down. His lips moved against mine as he whispered. "I don't care what we do, Babe. Just as long as I get to spend time with you."

The bell over the door rang then, and I jumped out of my chair. Mrs. Fischer walked into the store and looked over at me disapprovingly. She clucked her tongue as she shuffled up to the counter. She muttered under her breath, intentionally being just loud enough for me to hear. "Well I never! Why, in my day a young lady would not be kissing a boy right out in public. And during her shift at work to boot!"

Carlos grinned at me behind Mrs. Fischer's back and cleaned up the dishes from dinner, taking them into the back to wash.

"Hello, Mrs. Fischer! What can I get for you tonight?" I tried to be pleasant, even though she was still insulting me and my morals under her breath.

She waited until Carlos had moved to the back of the store, and then she shook her finger at me. "You need to be careful, young lady!" she scolded. "You don't want to get a reputation."

I tried not to grin. "No, ma'am." I agreed.

She looked at me harshly once again, harrumphed, and then went about choosing some pastries. Once the bell over the door jingled, Carlos peeked his head out of the back. "Is she gone?" he asked with a grin.

I stuck my tongue out at him. "Yes! And thanks a lot for leaving me alone with her!"

He grinned. "You're welcome, Babe."

I glared and threw a jelly doughnut in his direction, but he stepped to the side before it hit him. Instead, it landed on the floor with a splat, leaving a large puddle of jelly.

Carlos smirked at me. "The guy who mops the floors around here isn't going to be happy if you keep making messes like that." He teased.

I smirked back. "Oh yeah? What's he gonna do about it?"

Carlos reached into the display case and pulled out a cupcake. "He's probably going to get even, Babe." He said, a gleam in his eye.

I shrieked and ran behind the rack of day old pastries. "You wouldn't!"

He laughed. "I definitely would, Babe."

He followed me behind the rack and soon he had me pinned up against the wall. My heart was beating so loud and so hard that I was sure he could hear it. And when he slid one leg between mine, my breath hitched in my throat. I watched as he slowly unwrapped the cupcake. He offered me a bite, and I tentatively took one, half expecting him to smush it in my face. But he didn't. He just held it for me and fed it to me bite after bite until all that was left of it was the icing that had gotten smeared on his fingers. He lifted his hand and painted my lips with the icing, then leaned down to lick it off. He slowly drug his tongue around my lips, scooping up the icing. I moaned, and he leaned down to nibble on what was left.

"Yummy." He whispered against my lips before pulling back.

He walked into the back room to fill the mop bucket. I was still leaning against the wall, trying to catch my breath. What this guy did to me! Geesh!

I took a deep breath and blew it out, pushing myself off of the wall. I boxed up the leftovers and locked the door, heading back to the register. Carlos pushed the mop bucket out of the back and stopped next to the jelly doughnut. He grinned and shook his head, leaning down to toss it in the trash. "Only you, Babe!" he laughed.

I grinned and batted my eyelashes at him as I pulled the drawer out of the cash register.

We finished up our closing routine, and Carlos drove me to the bank and then back to get my car. He followed me home and walked me up to the front door. He pulled me close, his hands resting lightly on my hips, his forehead resting on mine.

"Good night, Babe." He whispered, leaning down to give me a light kiss on the lips. But I didn't want a chaste good night kiss. I didn't care if my parents or all of the neighbors were watching. I had had a few excellent kisses from Carlos today, and damn it, I wanted another one!

When he tried to pull his head back, I tangled my fingers in his hair and pulled his head back down towards mine. I pressed my lips against his feverishly, and he responded, groaning and opening his mouth. When he did that, I slid my tongue between his lips.

He pressed me tighter to him while his tongue explored mine. I pulled back to take in a deep shuddering breath and heard a banging sound. Looking over, I saw my mother glaring at us and banging on the window.

When she caught my eye, she pulled the curtains closed and stomped back out of the living room.

Carlos watched her go and leaned down to place a soft kiss on my lips. "Good luck, Babe." He grinned, hopping down off the porch and into his car.

I stuck my tongue out at him, and he laughed, waving as he backed out and headed for home.

_**TBC**_


	11. Chapter 11

**Friday, October 6, 1995**

**Stephanie's POV**

Friday morning I woke up with a huge smile on my face. I skipped into the shower and hummed while I soaped up my hair.

I thought back to last night and bit my lip when I remembered Carlos pinning me up against the wall. I know it made me sound like a hypocrite to say that I had enjoyed it. After all, it was the exact same position that Joe had had me in not 5 days earlier. But then it had been Joe, and it had been forced. Last night, it had been Carlos, and I had been willing. _Very willing_.

I felt the now familiar tingle in my belly that happened all too often when Carlos was around. I took a deep breath and arched my back, throwing my head back under the spray. I bit my lip as my fingers slid down between my thighs. I might be a virgin, but that didn't mean that I never had to admit to impure thoughts at confession. And lately, my thoughts were definitely running towards impure. A lot.

I was pretty sure that I was going to spontaneously combust if I couldn't convince my parents to buy a new massaging showerhead. Mary Lou had one at her house, and _oh my God!_ Let's just say that if I had one here, our water bill would double! Every time Carlos dropped me off, I would head straight for the tub!

Since I didn't have a shower massager, I was going to have to take care of the problem myself. I rubbed my hands up and down my soapy chest, imagining that Carlos was stroking my stomach, my breasts, my nipples. I tugged lightly on them and moaned at the feeling. My right hand slid down my chest, over my belly and between my thighs. My breathing hitched as I rubbed in a slow, circular motion. My eyes fluttered closed as I pictured Carlos pinching the swollen nub, and I was gone.

I leaned against the shower wall as I caught my breath. Then I adjusted the water temperature, making it cooler. I was definitely overheated!

Since my shower had been longer than usual, I rushed to comb out my hair and scrunch the mousse through it. I didn't bother blow-drying it. It could air dry today. I rushed back to my room and pulled on my majorette track suit. The one good thing about football Fridays was that it didn't take me long to get dressed! There was no deciding what to wear. If it was a home game, we wore our pregame military skirt and top to school. If it was an away game, we wore our warm-up suit. I quickly swiped on some makeup and ran down the stairs.

I wanted to just run out the door, but I needed one of my parents to write a note saying that I could ride home with Carlos tonight instead of taking the bus back to the school. I took a deep breath and walked into the kitchen. "Morning, mom. Morning, dad."

My mother nodded at me as she assembled my dad's lunch. My dad looked up from his paper and lifted his chin in greeting. What can I say? We're not a morning family.

When Valerie and I used to have to share the bathroom in the mornings, we mostly communicated with one another by grunting. "Unh!" with a chin lift meant good morning. If it was combined with a head tilt, that meant she wanted me to move in that direction. And a grunt with angry eyebrows usually meant move out of the way but could also mean quit hogging the sink or give me back my lipstick.

I cleared my throat. "Um, can one of you write a note to Mr. George saying that I have permission to ride home with a friend after the game instead of taking the bus?"

My dad lowered his paper. "What friend?"

I blushed. "Carlos."

My dad nodded and reached for the piece of paper I was holding. I passed it over to him and looked at my mom. She was standing with her fist on her hip and a scowl on her face. "Frank! You're not seriously going to let her ride all the way home with that boy, are you? Do you know where the game is tonight? It's in Ledgemont! That's over an hour drive!"

My dad raised his eyebrows at her. "OK?" he questioned.

My mother huffed. "That's too long of a drive! I just don't think it's a good idea!"

My dad rolled his eyes. "Helen, for crying out loud! The boy has gone out of his way to help Stephanie and to look out for her. It's fine." He finished writing the note and slid it across the table to me.

"Thanks, dad!" I leaned down and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"That's alright." He replied gruffly. "You have fun at the game!"

"Where are you going after the game?" my mom questioned.

"Back to Carlos's house. In fact, would you mind if I'm a little past curfew tonight? Like you said, it's an hour drive home, and then we were going to make cookies and watch a movie."

My mothers pressed her lips together. "You have detention bright and early tomorrow morning, young lady. Do you really think it's a good idea to stay out late tonight?"

I frowned. I hadn't thought about that. I had to be at school at 7:00. That was even earlier than I had to be there during the week.

"If you think you'll be able to get up tomorrow, you can stay at Carlos's house until the movie is over. But come straight home once it's done." My dad ordered.

I nodded.

"And no later than 1:00." My mother added.

I nodded again. Grabbing the note, I kissed them both on the cheek and ran out to my car.

Somehow even though I had started out the morning running behind, I made it to school earlier than usual. Probably because I hadn't eaten breakfast.

As usual, Carlos and a few of the guys were hanging out around Lester's car, and I walked over towards them. Looking at Carlos, I blushed, thinking of the things I'd imagined him doing to me in the shower this morning.

He saw the blush and raised an eyebrow at me, but I just shook my head. There was _no way_ that I was going to explain what was embarrassing me!

The guys teased me about the white "hooker boots" that I was wearing with my warm-up suit and told me how excited they were to come and watch me at the game tonight.

"You're all going to the game?" I asked nervously.

I got a chorus of "yeses" in reply.

"You don't have to watch just me, you know! Feel free to watch the other girls, too! In fact, I insist on it! Please watch the other girls!"

Lester laughed. "You'll do great, Beautiful! Don't let us scare you!"

I appreciated the encouragement, but knowing that Carlos and all of his friends would be watching me made me a little nervous. OK, a _lot_ nervous. With my luck, I'd accidentally throw my baton into the tuba section or something!

I spent the rest of the day thinking about all of the horrible disasters that my baton and I could have during the game. Quite possibly my worst nightmare was that I would toss my baton up, turn around once, and get whacked in the head instead of catching it. Unfortunately, I couldn't even wave that one away as unrealistic. It had actually happened to Joy at band camp this year. Her nose was bleeding like crazy, and she still had a tiny scar from it. I shuddered and tried to shove that thought out of my head.

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At every game we went to, the band had their own section of bleachers to sit in. The majorettes always lined up on the track in front of the band bleachers. Whenever the team made a touchdown, the band played the fight song, and we did the routine that went with it. In between, the band played "stands music" which was mostly older rock songs like "Hang On Sloopy," "Celebration," or "Rock Around the Clock." We did our halftime show routines to the songs. It gave us a chance to warm up, and the crowd never noticed that they were the same.

Carlos and the rest of the guys sat in the front row, right next to the band section. I couldn't help but notice that Connie was sitting right by Cal, a pretty blush covering her cheeks. Mary Lou sat by Connie, cheering for Lenny.

The guys were incredibly enthusiastic. And by that, I mean obnoxious. Although I appreciated the support, they were a loud and rowdy group. Every time I did anything even remotely difficult, they would whoop and holler. Lester had even brought one of those annoying "air horn in a can" things. It was basically a metal can with a plastic horn on the top. Whenever he pulled the trigger, the can would let out a ridiculously loud "EHHHHHHH" sound. The first time he did it, it scared the shit out of me! I almost dropped my baton and peed my pants at the same time. Luckily, I managed to avoid doing both, but not by much!

Lester was definitely the front runner in the "Who can be the most annoying fan at a football game" race, but Bobby and Tank were close behind, tied for second place. Bobby had taken an empty milk jug and filled it with pennies. Whenever our team got anywhere near the end zone, he would stand up and shake the living daylights out of the milk jug. It was way louder than I ever thought pennies could be! Tank, on the other hand, had a cowbell. An honest to God, freakin' cowbell. Where he had _found_ a cowbell, I had no idea. We lived in a major metropolitan area. The last time I had even _seen_ a real live cow was on our first grade field trip to the farm. And it had been a two hour bus ride to get there. But, hey, what did I know? Maybe Tank had a cow in his back yard. In any case, the three of them together were almost unbearable!

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When the game was over, the band lined up to march back out through the gates. I twirled my way through the gate and towards the bus. When we got there, the band director pulled out his clipboard and started calling the squads to board the bus, one by one. When he got to the majorettes, I reminded him that I had a note. He looked up at Carlos who was standing next to me, my duffel bag slung over his shoulder. He frowned and looked down at the note again.

Looking back up, Mr. George studied my face. "If I call your father, is he going to verify that you have permission to go home with this boy?"

I nodded. "Yes. My dad wrote the note this morning. He knows that Carlos is driving me home."

Mr. George scrubbed his hand across his face and waved me off. "Alright then, Miss Plum. Go ahead."

I smiled and grabbed Carlos's hand. "Thanks! Good night, Mr. George!"

He just shook his head as we walked off.

When we got to Carlos's car, I fidgeted nervously. He raised an eyebrow at me. "What's wrong, Babe?"

I bit my lip. "Well, I usually change before riding home. The sequins are kind of scratchy."

He gave me a big grin. "So, what's under that uniform, Babe?"

I stuck my tongue out at him. "A leotard and tights, Mr. Smarty Pants!"

He shrugged. "Then what's the problem? Just take off your uniform and put on your sweatsuit or whatever's in the bag."

I blushed. "Well, I know I have on a leotard, but it still feels kind of exposed…" my voice trailed off nervously.

Carlos grinned and pulled me in for a hug. Dropping a kiss on my head, he said, "Do you want to change in the car, Babe? I'll turn around and wait out here."

I exhaled the breath I was holding and nodded, relieved. Just because I was having shower fantasies about Carlos didn't mean I wanted to act them out. At least not yet.

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Carlos opened the front door and ushered me through, calling out, "Mama! We're home!"

Mrs. Manoso came running out of the kitchen, a big smile on her face. She did a double take when she saw me taking off my knee high white boots, and I blushed.

"Could I use your restroom?" I asked politely.

"Of course, dear, of course!" She waved me down the hall and into a small half bath. I quickly stripped off my warm-up suit and removed my leotard. I pulled my warm-up suit and socks back on and stuck the leotard in my duffel bag. Opening the door, I carried my bag over to the front door and left it in the foyer by my boots.

"We're in the kitchen, dear!" Carlos's mother called out when she heard me walking back down the hall.

I walked into the kitchen and saw Carlos leaning one hip against the counter and looking over his mother's shoulder as she flipped through a cookbook. Mrs. Manoso looked up at me and smiled. "Carlos didn't tell us that you were a majorette!"

I grinned and nodded.

"Does that mean that you get to twirl the fire batons at Homecoming next week?" she asked, her eyes shining excitedly.

"Yep! Are you guys coming to the game?" I asked, crossing the room towards the two of them.

She tilted her head. "We've gone to a few of the Homecoming games, but it's been a while. Ricardo and I weren't really planning on going, but maybe now we will." She smiled at me.

I smiled back. "I'd like that."

Carlos lifted me up and sat me on the counter in front of him. "What kind of cookies are you hungry for, Babe?"

"What are my choices?"

Mrs. Manoso flipped through a couple pages. "Well, Carlos said that you loved chocolate."

I nodded when she looked up to confirm that statement.

She continued. "We have the ingredients for a couple different kinds of cookies. We can do chocolate chip. Or…" she pointed to a picture in the cookbook "We can do these. They're chocolate cookies with peanut butter chips." She smiled. "They're one of my favorites."

I smiled and nodded. "You can't go wrong with peanut butter and chocolate!" I agreed.

We all worked together to mix up the cookie dough, and then Carlos's mother shooed us into the family room. "Go watch your movie!" she insisted. "I'll bake these for you and bring some in when they're ready."

We thanked her and walked into the family room to try to find a movie. Carlos held up several choices until we finally narrowed it down to Iron Eagle, Footloose, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

"What's Iron Eagle about?" I asked, flipping the tape over and skimming the back.

"It's an action movie. An Air Force pilot gets shot down in the Middle East, and his son hijacks a plane and goes in to rescue him. It's good." He informed me.

"So is Footloose!" I countered.

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Babe. A town where dancing is illegal? Come on."

I rolled my eyes at him. "It's a movie!"

He just shook his head. "How about Ferris Bueller?" he suggested.

I nodded. "Sounds good to me!" That was one of my favorite movies. Next to Ghostbusters. If Carlos turned the volume all the way down, I could probably do most of the dialogue for him.

Carlos popped the tape in and sat down, his back against the arm of the couch and his left leg stretched out across the cushions. He reached up and put his hands on my hips, gently pulling me down between his legs.

He rubbed my shoulders, and I sighed appreciatively, leaning my neck forward. His hands were magic, massaging the knots out of my neck and shoulders. When I was almost relaxed enough to fall asleep, he finished and rubbed his hands down my arms. Reaching my hands, he laced our fingers together and then wrapped both of our arms around my middle. He leaned down and nuzzled my neck, nipping lightly against my throat. I moaned and leaned my head against his shoulder to give him a better angle.

I gripped his hands harder, encouraging him to keep going. He trailed kisses from my ear to my shoulder, licking and nipping. I panted and turned my head just slightly. When he got to the place where my neck and shoulder meet, he sucked the skin into his mouth, biting down. I gasped at the sting, and he quickly ran his tongue over the tender flesh.

He buried his face in my neck and let out a breath. "You make it very difficult to behave myself!" He rasped out breathlessly.

I turned and rubbed my cheek against his. "I know the feeling." I whispered.

"Cookies!" Mrs. Manoso announced, walking into the family room. She smiled when she saw the two of us cuddled together on the couch.

She walked over and sat a tray with a plate of cookies and two glasses of milk on the coffee table.

"Mmmm!" I moaned appreciatively. "Those smell yummy!"

I leaned over to grab a cookie, and Mrs. Manoso gasped. She smacked Carlos on the back of the head and started lecturing him in a steady stream of Spanish. At least I _think_ she was lecturing him. I was going solely on tone since I had no idea what she was actually saying.

Carlos shot me a guilty look and started talking back to his mother. She stuck her hands on her hips and glared at him while he spoke. He leaned over and brushed a soft kiss on my cheek, and her face softened. She asked Carlos one last question, which he answered with a soft, "_Si, Mama_."

At that, his mother gave us both another wide grin before she turned and scooted out of the room.

When she was gone, I turned and looked at Carlos, confused. "What was that all about?"

He grinned and traced his fingertips along my neck. "My Mama was upset with me."

"I gathered that from her tone of voice. What did you do?"

He grinned even wider. "It's not what I've _done_; it's what she's afraid I'm _going to do_."

I blew out a frustrated breath. "OK. What is she afraid you're _going to do_?"

"Ruin our Homecoming pictures."

I knitted my eyebrows together. "Huh?"

Carlos brushed my hair away from my neck and ran his finger along the side. "I may have gotten a little carried away earlier." He admitted, looking slightly guilty.

I got a sinking feeling in my stomach. "What do you mean you might have gotten carried away?"

He cleared his throat. "You have a couple of… um… marks, on your neck here."

I gasped and jumped off of the couch, headed for the mirror that hung over the fireplace. I pulled my hair back into a ponytail with my hands and turned so that I could see my neck. Carried away? I guess so! I had one large hickey at the base of my neck and a couple of smaller ones further up my neck.

"Carlos!" I wailed.

He stood behind me, but I could see his reflection in the mirror, and he was trying not to laugh! Jerk! I smacked him on the arm. "I'm glad you think this is funny, mister! I'm going to have to wear turtlenecks for a week! And your mother is right! No more sucking on my neck until after Homecoming!"

He raised an eyebrow with a smirk. "Does that mean I'm allowed to suck on other parts of your body until Homecoming?"

I felt my face get hot, and I wanted to bury it in my hands and stay quiet. Instead, my stupid mouth opened up, and "maybe," tumbled out.

Carlos groaned at that and pulled me flush against him. "You could always suck on _my_ neck, Babe." He whispered hoarsely. "I wouldn't mind if you wanted to get even."

I just shook my head. The guy was incorrigible!

"So what did your mom ask you right before she left?"

He didn't answer me right away, so I pulled back to look up at his face. He was _blushing!_ I swear to God that his cheeks were bright red. He tried to wave off the question like it was no big deal. "Nothing, Babe. Just talking."

I might have believed him if his cheeks weren't still stained, but now I needed to know! "If you don't want to tell me, I can just go ask your mom!" I teased. I took a step towards the kitchen, and he grabbed me around the waist and pulled me back towards him.

"She asked…" he paused and buried his face in my neck. I felt him take in a deep breath and blow it back out gently. "She asked if I loved you."

I turned in his arms and looked up at his face, startled. "And you said yes." I stated. I think maybe I was in shock.

He nodded and looked down at me. "I know it seems fast, but I think I'm in love with you, Stephanie." He whispered.

I looked up into his face and swallowed hard against the lump in my throat. "I think I love you, too." I whispered.

His face broke into a wide grin, and he cupped my face in his hands, leaning down to kiss me until I was breathless.

_**TBC**_

_**Awww! Aren't they sweet? :) Anyone have any final requests or guesses for the detention scene? It's coming up next!**_

_**And what will Helen have to say about the marks on Stephanie's neck?**_


	12. Chapter 12

_A/N: It's here! It's here! The detention scene is here! Well, the beginning of it anyway! LOL! Sooooo, when I was first thinking of the idea for this story, I was going to start right with detention, just like the movie. But somehow, that didn't happen. Hmmm.… And in the process, somehow Joe became the Criminal/Bad Boy and Carlos became the Good Boy if not exactly the Athlete. _

_I guess subconsciously I put them in the roles that suited them best! LOL! I am a Babe, after all! ;) So, the role of Bender will be played by Morelli. Just a reminder that the characters and events will be a little different than the movie (especially Joe and Carlos). However, if you recognize any quotes or scenes, they are clearly from The (original) Breakfast Club! (A LOT of the dialogue is stolen word for word from the movie.) _

_There is one extra character in detention, just because it seemed to make sense. And although this story has been pretty angst free so far (intentionally), those of you who have seen the movie know that the Princess has kind of a rough way to go during detention. So, be prepared! ;)_

**Chapter 12**

**Saturday, October 7, 1995**

I groaned when my alarm went off at 5:45. I wanted to roll over and go back to bed, but I knew I couldn't. For so many reasons. First, because Carlos was going to be here at 6:30, and I wanted a shower. Second, because I couldn't be late to detention. Third (and possibly the most important), I didn't want to listen to my mother and her "I told you so" lecture if she thought I was too tired to get up after spending the evening with Carlos.

I drug myself out of bed and groaned the whole way to the bathroom. I got into the shower and stood under the spray, letting the warm water wake me up. I lathered, rinsed, repeated, and then scrubbed myself clean before hopping out. I pulled on my jean skirt, turtleneck, and sweatshirt and then combed through my hair. I knew it was detention and not a fashion show, but that didn't mean that I couldn't look good, right? I added an extra swipe of mascara and checked the time. Almost 6:30! Carlos would be here any minute.

I raced back into my room and grabbed my purse, book bag, and dress bag. I walked down the stairs and heard my parents in the kitchen, eating breakfast. It was Saturday for crying out loud! They didn't have anywhere to go or anything to do! Why on Earth were they up this early _by choice_?

I peeked my head in the door and grabbed my lunch off the table. "See you later!" I called.

My dad was taking a drink of coffee, but he waved with his other hand. My mother waved with the egg spatula. "We'll see you after detention?" she asked.

I shook my head no. "I'm going over to Carlos's to try on jewelry for Homecoming and then we're going out for pizza or something, I think."

My mom's back stiffened. "What do you mean you're trying on Homecoming jewelry?"

I bit my lip. I didn't think that my mom would mind. The few times that I had mentioned going to look, she had brushed me off, saying that she had other things to do. I figured she just didn't want to look with me. "Well, Carlos has four older sisters and lots of cousins. His mom offered to check with them to see if they had anything I could borrow."

My mother sniffed. "Well, thanks a lot, Stephanie. I guess I can see when I'm not wanted."

A knock sounded on the front door, and I looked through the living room window. I could see Carlos's car parked on the driveway. "Mom, Carlos is here. I have to go, or I'll be late for detention."

She waved me off, frustrated. "Fine, fine."

I winced a little at her tone of voice. "I didn't think you'd mind. If you want me to, I'll tell Mrs. Manoso that you and I are going to look."

She pursed her lips. "It's fine, Stephanie. But I'd appreciate it if you let me help you shop for these kinds of things in the future."

I nodded as I made my way out of the kitchen. "I will. Bye, mom."

I sprinted towards the door and opened it just as Carlos was getting ready to knock again. He dropped his hand and leaned over to give me a quick kiss. "Morning, Babe."

He took my book bag and dress bag as we headed towards the car. "What's all this?"

"Well, the book bag is school work to do during detention, and the dress bag is for your house. It has my Homecoming dress and shoes in it so that I can try to match the jewelry to them."

He grinned and shook his head. "You should _see_ the display that Mama has laid out for you! There are _tons_ of necklaces and other pieces of jewelry waiting!"

I blushed and slid into the car and across the front bench seat. "She didn't have to go to all that trouble!"

He reached over and squeezed my hand. "You have that affect on people, Babe. You make them want to do things for you."

"Oh yeah?" I teased. "What do I make _you_ want to do for me?"

He growled and slid his hand up my leg, just under the hem of my skirt, and answered huskily, "You make me want to do all sorts of things _for_ you and _to_ you."

I took in a shaky breath and looked up at Carlos with wide eyes.

He backed out of the driveway, his hand still resting on my thigh. I bit my lip and laid my hand on his leg, slowly sliding it up his thigh. He groaned and laid his hand on top of mine, halting my upward progress. "I am going to _kill_ Morelli."

"Why?" I asked uncertainly.

"Because I can think of about 82 things I'd like to do with you right now, and none of them include sitting in the school library with an audience for the next 9 hours."

I leaned closer and whispered in his ear. "Show me later?"

He let out a low growl and squeezed my leg. "Count on it, Babe."

**C&S C&S C&S C&S C&S**

Carlos slung my bag across his shoulder and held my hand as we walked into the school. The parking lot was nearly deserted this early on a Saturday morning, the only other cars belonging to the other detention attendees. We climbed the steps to the school and trudged down the hallway toward the library.

I scanned the room as we walked in. There were two other students already seated at the tables, but I didn't recognize them. A pasty faced, pudgy boy was sitting at the front table. He had blonde hair, and his glasses were sliding down his nose. He smiled nervously at us when we walked in. "Boy, this is something, huh? I've never been in detention before. Have you guys ever had a Saturday detention? My mother went straight to synagogue to pray for me. It's just that I've never been in trouble before, so she didn't know what to do. I mean, the last time I was in the principal's office, I was in third grade. But that was because Joey Kawolski broke my glasses, so it wasn't even my fault." He paused in his rambling to draw in a big breath.

I looked over at Carlos wide eyed. He was trying to smother a grin, but it wasn't quite working. He nodded his head at the doughboy and moved us across the aisle to sit at a table.

The girl at the table behind the doughboy leaned up. "Hey, white girl!"

I turned around startled. "Yeah?" I asked hesitantly.

She leaned her broad, dark frame back in her chair and propped her foot up on the table. "You got a pair of nail clippers? I was gonna give myself a pedicure this morning, but I forgot my clippers."

I tried not to stare at the fluorescent spandex that was stretched tight across her large black chest. "Um, no, sorry. I have a nail file, but no clippers."

She grunted. "Well, I don't think I can _file_ them down, but thanks anyhow." She plopped her foot back down on the floor, and I exhaled a sigh of relief. Her hot pink skirt had been so tight and so short that when she put her foot up on the table, she was very nearly flashing the whole room.

I blinked and turned back towards the front of the room.

A tall, scrawny kid with disheveled brown hair walked in next. He was wearing a flannel shirt and kept his head down, slinking to a seat towards the back. He sat down and laid his head on his arms, never making a sound.

Last to arrive was Joe. When he saw me sitting next to Carlos, he narrowed his eyes at the both of us. "Cupcake," he muttered.

I swallowed hard and nodded back, grabbing for Carlos's hand. Carlos gave my hand a reassuring squeeze as Joe took a seat at the table directly behind us.

Principal Marco walked in then. He wasn't a very tall man, but he walked with the kind of arrogant, self-assured swagger that only an older Italian man has. He crossed his arms over his chest and surveyed the room. Evidently finding everyone on his mental roster present, he nodded his head. "Well, well. Here we are. I want to congratulate you for being on time." He checked his watch. "It is now 7:06. You have exactly 8 hours and 54 minutes to think about why you're here." He fixed his gaze on Carlos and me. "To ponder the error of your ways."

"You may not talk. You will not _move_ from these seats."

He walked around, placing a piece of paper and a pencil on the table in front of each of us. "Alright people, we're gonna try something a little different today. You are going to write an essay of no less than a thousand words describing to me who you think you are. Maybe you'll learn a little something about yourself. Maybe even decide whether you'd care to return here again."

The Pillsbury Doughboy stood up. "You know, I could answer that right now, Sir. That'd be a no. No for me, cause…"

Marco glared at him. "Sit down, Mr. Kloughn."

I bit the inside of my cheek and dug my fingernails into my palms to keep from laughing. Clown? Was that his name? That was terrible! And I thought Dickie was bad!

Marco continued. "My office is right across that hall. Any monkey business is ill-advised." He walked out of the library and headed across the hall.

I looked at Carlos and sighed, leaning back in my chair. A loud clicking noise came from behind me, and I turned around. The plus-sized spandex model had her foot back up on the table. She had kicked off the stiletto boots she was wearing and was now using a pair of scissors to cut her toenails. I looked over at Carlos and saw that he was staring at her with a mixture of horror and amusement. Morelli and the Clown were also watching her trailer park version of a pedicure. When she saw us all staring at her, she flipped us off and went back to clipping her nails.

I turned back around, only to be hit in the back of the head by a crumpled up piece of paper. I whirled around and saw Morelli giving me a sexy grin. I glared back. "Cut it out, Joe!" I ordered him.

He smirked back and raised his eyebrows suggestively. "Why don't you go close that door, and we can have some fun, Cupcake?"

Carlos turned around and gave him a look that would have me pissing my pants if it were directed at me.

"What?" Joe asked innocently. "I just wanted to play a game with you, Cupcake. Remember how much fun we had playing choo choo? I'm up for round two. But this time I have a different train I wanna play with."

I blushed furiously and hissed at him. "Why don't you just shut up, Joe. Nobody here is interested."

Clown looked at us nervously. "Uh, excuse me, guys. I think we should just write our papers…."

Carlos ignored Clown and looked back and forth between Joe and me. "Choo choo?" he asked me quietly.

Joe smirked. "What? You haven't told him that I was the first guy to explore your tunnel, Cupcake?"

I blushed and felt tears prick my eyes, but I was trying not to let him see how much he was upsetting me.

"That's why I call you, Cupcake, you know. So soft and sweet and good to eat…." He taunted.

Carlos stood up, the tendons in his neck standing out, his fists clenched. His face was set in an absolute expression of rage.

I jumped up and wrapped my arms around his waist. I leaned against him and tried to get him to sit back down. "He's just doing it to get a rise out of you. Ignore him, and he'll stop."

Joe smirked. "Cupcake, you couldn't ignore me if you tried."

I rolled my eyes, but Morelli's big mouth kept going. He leaned forward and asked mockingly, "So. Are you guys like boyfriend, girlfriend? Steady dates? Loooovers? Come on, Spic, level with me. Do you slip her the hot… beef… injection?"

"Go to Hell!" I shrieked at the same time Carlos roared, "That's enough!"

"Hey! What's going on in there?" Marco yelled from across the hall.

We all glared silently at each other for a few minutes, and then I turned back around. I was taking deep breaths and trying to calm myself down. God! When had Morelli become such a jerk? Or had he always been a jerk, and I just hadn't noticed it 'til now?

Morelli wandered up and sat on the railing next to my table. "What do you say we close that door? We can't have any kind of party with Marco checking us out every few seconds."

Clown fidgeted nervously. "Well, you know the door's supposed to stay open..."

Joe frowned at him. "So what?" He smirked. "And what kind of a name is Clown anyway?"

The Clown wiped his hand across his forehead. "It's Kloughn- K-L-O-U-G-H-N. Not like the guys at the circus."

Joe rolled his eyes. "My mistake." He leapt down off of the railing and strode over to the door. Fiddling with it, he pulled out a screw and walked back to his seat as the door closed.

I turned, my eyes wide. "Joe! Fix the door!"

He just smirked.

Carlos narrowed his eyes at him. "Fix the fucking door!"

Kloughn joined in nervously, "You should really fix that!"

Joe just shoved the screw down his pants and leaned back, crossing his legs at the ankle.

A few minutes later, Marco banged the door open. "Why is that door closed?" he barked. No one answered him.

Marco turned to me. "Why?"

I took a deep breath and shrugged. "We were just sitting here, like we were supposed to…"

Marco glared at Morelli. "Who closed that door?"

"I think a screw fell out of it."

Marco glared at him. "Screws don't just fall out of doors, Mister!"

Morelli gave him a smug grin. "Screws fall out all of the time. The world's an imperfect place."

Marco huffed out an angry breath and looked at the full-figured black girl. "What happened?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "It just closed, Sir."

He walked back to stand next to the flannel-clad burnout. "Who did it?"

The kid picked his head up. "Whoa, man! You're like totally messin' up my peaceful aura with all that yelling."

Marco stared at him in disbelief and turned around, marching back to the door.

He looked around for something to prop the door open and settled on a folding chair. He no sooner let go of the door, then it knocked the chair out of the way and slammed shut. He kicked the door open muttering and tried a trash can, with similar results. Finally he gave up and let the door slam behind him as he stormed back to his office across the hall.

**C&S C&S C&S C&S C&S**

The next several hours were a trial. I attempted to do some of the homework I'd brought with me, but my brain was mutinying, saying that it should still be in bed. When I reread the same page from "The Grapes of Wrath" for the third time, I decided it was time to give up. I marked my page and put my head down on my arms, exhausted.

**C&S C&S C&S C&S C&S**

I woke up around 10:00, when Marco came back in the room to take us all to the bathroom. When we were finished, he led us single file back to the library like we were criminals on a chain gang. He gestured for us all to go back through the door, and then he let it slam shut.

Carlos and I walked back over to our table. He sat down in his seat, and I climbed onto the table in front of him, pulling him closer. He put his hands on my hips, his thumbs tracing circles.

"So what did you want to do tonight, Babe?" he asked softly.

I shrugged my shoulders. "What did you have in mind?"

He tilted his head. "Well, that depends."

"On what?"

"On whether you're actually going to let me spend any money on you tonight."

I blushed and nodded. "OK."

He grinned back at me. "So, a movie? Pizza? Neither? Both?"

I leaned forward and touched my forehead to his. "Whatever you want to do is fine."

He pressed a light kiss to my nose. "I was kinda worried that your mom might have grounded you."

I bit my lip. "She didn't see them." I whispered.

Carlos nodded in understanding.

"But she _was_ a little bit miffed that _your_ mom was gonna help me pick out Homecoming jewelry."

Carlos frowned. "Is it gonna be a problem, Babe?"

I shook my head. "I don't think so." I replied uncertainly.

"Problems with mommy and daddy, Cupcake?" Joe cooed. "Let me guess. They don't approve of you dating outside the Burg."

The black girl behind us perked up and waited for my answer.

"That's none of your business, Joe." I fumed.

"They probably want you to find a nice Italian guy to settle down with, have a few grandbabies. I could help with the pregnancy part, if you want."

I glared at him, but before I could vehemently deny his offer, Kloughn spoke up. "I know how that is. Every time I talk about a girl at school, the first thing my mom asks me is whether or not she's Jewish. I know she wants me to marry a Jewish girl someday, but it's like I can't even _date_ someone who's not Jewish without her getting all upset."

Joe raised an eyebrow at Kloughn. "And this happens a lot? That you have a non-Jewish date? Or any kind of date at all?"

Kloughn blushed. "Well…." He stammered.

Carlos glared at Morelli. "Why do you have to insult everybody? Can't you leave the kid alone?"

Joe shrugged. "I'm just pointing out the fault in his logic. He claims that his mother's problem is that his dates are non-Jewish. I'm just pointing out that it's very unlikely His Royal Jewishness has had _any_ dates, Jewish or non-Jewish."

"Yeah, well. He has a name you know." Carlos leaned over to Kloughn. "What's your name?"

"Al… Albert. Albert Kloughn."

Geesh! Poor kid! He didn't stand a chance! The only thing worse might have been Mortimer.

Morelli rolled his eyes. "My condolences." He told Albert.

The big black girl got up and swung herself over to our table. "So, I'm guessin' that your name ain't really Cupcake or Babe."

I smiled and shook my head no.

"So what is it?" she asked me.

"Stephanie."

She nodded. "And yours?" she turned to Carlos.

"Carlos." He answered.

I looked at her. "What about you?"

"Tallulah Cline. But most people just call me Lula." Her hip was out, her fist resting on it, and she stuck her chin up defiantly as if she were waiting for us to make fun of her.

I just nodded. "Nice to meet you, Lula."

I looked back behind us, at the boy sitting quietly in his seat. "And you?"

He looked shocked that someone was speaking to him. He got up and walked wordlessly up to our table. "What's your name?" I asked him.

"Walter, but most people call me Mooner. Cuz I'm the Moon Man."

I smiled. "Hey, Mooner."

He grinned back.

Joe snorted. "You've got quite the fan club going over there, Cupcake. It's like the beginning of a bad joke. A Jewish guy, a burnout, a Cuban, and a black girl all walk into a bar…"

I flipped him off, and Joe sauntered over, smirking. "Oh! Obscene hand gestures from such a _pristine_ girl."

I glared at him. "I'm not _that _pristine."

Joe leaned down next to me. "Are you a virgin? I'll bet you a million dollars that you are. Too bad. I could've taken care of that for you last week at the Tasty Pastry."

"Why don't you just shut up?" I growled back at him.

He continued taunting me. "Have you ever kissed a boy on the mouth? Have you ever been felt up? Over the bra, under the blouse, shoes off… hoping to God your parents don't walk in?"

I could feel the tears collecting, and I tried to turn away so that Joe wouldn't get the satisfaction of seeing how upset he was making me.

Lula frowned. "Leave her alone."

"Over the panties, no bra, blouse unbuttoned, Calvins in a ball on the front seat past eleven on a school night?"

I bit my lip, and Carlos pulled me down off the table and into his lap. He wrapped his arms around me. "Leave her alone!" he ordered Morelli in a firm voice.

Morelli walked over and stood next to Carlos, puffing his chest out. "You gonna make me?"

"Yeah."

"You and how many of your friends?"

"Just me. Just you and me. Two hits. Me hitting you; you hitting the floor! Anytime you're ready, asshole!" Carlos snarled, standing up. He gently pushed me back down into his chair.

Joe lunged at him, but Carlos twisted him around and had him pinned on the floor in seconds.

Joe grunted, and Carlos let him up, but not before he shoved his knee into his back one last time.

**C&S C&S C&S C&S C&S**

"I don't think it's such a bad thing to be a virgin." Albert offered, blushing. Of course he didn't. Clearly he was clearly one, too.

Morelli vocalized my thoughts. "Of course you don't, Al. Cuz you're a cherry, too."

Albert wrinkled his forehead. "A cherry?" he questioned.

Joe shook his head. "Shit!" he muttered under his breath. "Yeah, man, a cherry! You know, a virgin!"

Albert blushed. "I didn't say that _I_ was a virgin. Just that I thought it would be OK if _Stephanie_ was a virgin."

Joe smirked. "So you're not a virgin? Really? Name one girl you've ever laid."

Albert's eyes widened. "Um, you wouldn't know her. She lives in Niagara Falls."

Joe nodded. "Of course she does." He turned towards me. "So what about you, Steph? All the guys you ever banged live in Niagara Falls, too?"

I glared at him. "I am not talking about this with you."

Lula nodded. "It's kind of a double-edged sword, isn't it?"

I wrinkled my brow at her. "A what?"

"Well, if you say you haven't, you're a prude. If you say you have, you're a slut! It's a trap. You want to, but you can't. But when you do, you wish you didn't. Right?"

I blushed furiously. "I am _not_ talking about the status of my virginity with you guys!"

Carlos pulled me down onto his lap. "It doesn't matter anyway. Whether she's been with anyone _else_ in the past doesn't mean anything. She's with _me_ now. _That's_ all that matters."

I blushed and buried my face into Carlos's shoulder. I was glad it didn't matter to him, but that still didn't mean that I wanted to tell him whether I was a virgin or not in front of a room full of people. Carlos seemed to understand that, and he didn't say anything further about it.

**C&S C&S C&S C&S C&S**

Marco slammed the door open, and we all scrambled to get back in our seats. He strode to the middle of the room. "You get a half hour for lunch." Once his official proclamation was made, he turned and headed back towards his office.

We all reached down and grabbed for our bags. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Lula assembling her sandwich. She started with buttered bread, then added Cap'n Crunch. She ripped open two Pixie Stix with her teeth and shook them out over the cereal. Satisfied, she took a second layer of bread and smashed it down on top of the whole concoction. She caught me staring at her wide eyed and grinned. "Hey, don't knock it 'til you've tried it!"

I shook my head and pulled out my own sandwich.

"What kind you got, white girl?" she asked.

"Peanut butter and olive."

She made a face like she was going to be sick. "You won't eat a Cap'n Crunch and Pixie Stix sandwich, but you'll eat _that_? Sorry, girl, but that's gross!"

I lifted one shoulder and smirked at her. "Don't knock it 'til you've tried it!" I echoed back teasingly.

Carlos shook his head. "Babe, that really does sound kinda gross."

I smiled sweetly at him. "Want a bite?"

He leaned down and nibbled my ear lobe. "Yeah, but not of your sandwich." He whispered huskily.

A shiver went straight down my back as his breath crossed my ear.

**TBC**

**I had originally planned on quitting the story after detention, kind of like the movie. But I've had several people ask (beg, plead) for it to continue through Homecoming, the rest of their senior year, or beyond. Let me know what you think!**


	13. Chapter 13

_A/N: Thanks for all of the many kind reviews and PMs! I'm glad that you liked the first half of detention. This is the last half. If you recognize any quotes or scenes, they are clearly from The (original) Breakfast Club! (A LOT of the dialogue is stolen word for word from the movie.) _

**Chapter 13**

**Saturday, October 7, 1995 (cont'd)**

"Puff puff, give. Puff puff, give! You fuckin' up the rotation!" Mooner teased, taking the joint off of Albert and passing it to Morelli. Albert began coughing uncontrollably, and Lula leaned over to whack him on the back.

After the extremely stressful morning, Mooner had decided that we all needed to mellow out. A regular at Saturday detention, he assured us that Marco took an afternoon nap and wouldn't be back until 4:00. So we had climbed up to the library's second floor reading lounge and sprawled out in a circle on the floor, passing around a couple of his joints.

The first several times around, Carlos had skipped me and passed it on to Lula. I thought it was kinda sweet that he was trying not to corrupt me. Plus I was pretty sure that my dad would kill me if I smoked pot and he found out.

But the contact high from that much weed was seriously mellowing me out, and by the time the third joint was making the rounds, I decided _in for a penny, in for a pound._ Carlos just raised an eyebrow at me when I took it off of him and attempted to take a hit. He passed it on while I coughed and choked.

By this point, I was feeling pretty relaxed. I was sprawled out between Carlos's legs, his arms wrapped around me, and I was thinking that I had never been happier in my life.

Mooner was sitting across the circle from me, leaning against a bookcase and studying me. He reached his foot out and gently toed my sneaker. "So what's the story, Morning Glory?" he asked solemnly. Well, as solemn as a guy who smokes at least 3 joints a day can be.

I smiled at his reference to the new Oasis album and shook my head. "What do you mean?"

"You're not the kind of clientele we usually get here in Saturday detention. What on Earth could a good little Burg girl like you have possibly done that was bad enough to get a Saturday detention?"

I made a face at him. "Well, first of all, I'm not a 'good little Burg girl.' I've never done the things that a good little girl from the Burg was supposed to do."

He raised his eyebrows at me. "Do tell, Dudette."

"Well, in the Burg, little girls are supposed to start preparing to be wives and mothers from the time we're in preschool. We get things like baby dolls, Easy Bake ovens, and play vacuum cleaners. There's a huge unspoken competition to see whose baby doll has the prettiest hairdo or which girl can decorate cookies the nicest. In junior high, we all have to take ballroom dancing lessons and etiquette classes. It makes me want to scream."

I paused. "Do you know that my mother was actually trying to marry me off the other day? She would be thrilled beyond belief if I got engaged at Prom. It's unreal. It's like everyone is a little clone. We all live on the freakin' Leave It to Beaver set or something."

Lula rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you got it real bad there, white girl. A momma who loves you and is tryin' to raise you right. Show you how to take care of yourself and your family. Yeah, that sure is terrible."

I blushed. "It's terrible if it's something you don't think you want. It's like I've spent my whole life trying to fly, and my mom has done nothing but tie me down and clip my wings. It's just frustrating. And it's tiring day after day to look in her face and know that she doesn't approve. Of me. Of my choices. Of my life. Do you know what it's like to know that you're not good enough? That you'll never _be_ good enough?" I broke off in a sob, and Carlos tightened his arms around me.

Morelli snorted. "Well at least people expect the best of you. I feel like everyone from the Burg is staring at me, just waiting for me to fuck up. Like, _there goes Joe. He's a Morelli, so you know what that means. He's a drunken, abusive womanizer._ The few good girls that I'm interested in won't have anything to do with me because of my last name. And the ones who _are_ willing to go out with me only do it for a cheap thrill. To see if the Italian Stallion rumors are true. They don't want any kind of relationship with me."

I sniffed and rolled my eyes at him. "Puh-lease! You're the one who wrote about Joyce on the stadium wall, idiot! You're the one who said she liked it rough, tough, and once was never enough. Like you were bragging about it!"

Joe smiled sadly. "You don't get it, do you, Cupcake? That's my point. She's the exact opposite of soft, and sweet, and good to eat. She's the one who was willing to be with me for the night because the girl I really wanted wouldn't have anything to do with me."

I sucked in a breath.

"Look at her. Do you really think Joyce is the kind of girl I'd want to marry and have kids with? She might be fun for a night, but she's not a _bring her home to momma_ kind of girl." He gave me a sad look complete with warm, pleading brown eyes.

I blushed and lowered my head.

"Well maybe if you'd quit trying to molest girls who _were_ the one behind the counter of the Tasty Pastry, your selection would open up a bit more!" Carlos threw out angrily.

Joe looked up and glared at him, giving him an Italian hand gesture.

Lula spoke up then, her face defiant. "Well I know what it is to have people expect the worst of you, that's for sure."

I looked up at her, silently waiting for her to continue. She seemed to be collecting her thoughts, deciding how much she wanted to share.

"When your momma's a crackhead, nobody expects you to make it very far." She finally admitted. "The teachers at school write you off, figure you'll end up on Welfare, poppin' out babies, sellin' your body on a street corner, or shootin' up in an alley. They don't care if you come to class. They don't care if you fail every test. I haven't turned in any homework for two years now. Not a single paper. I haven't studied for a test since my freshman year."

"Aren't you afraid you're going to fail?" I asked her incredulously.

She just snorted. "Hell no, honey. They just give me a D and move me on. They just want to get rid of me. That's the story of my life. Everybody tryin' to pass me off onto somebody else, get rid of me, make me someone else's problem."

Mooner nodded. "Totally. That's me, too. My dad left when my brother and I were really little. My mom didn't want us. Not really. I've been shuffled between grandparents and aunts and uncles for the past 12 years. Some days it's damn depressing." He smiled and lifted the joint in his hand. "Good thing I have a prescription for happy, huh?"

We all laughed, but it was kind of hollow. We were busy thinking about our problems, comparing them to the others', weighing them, deciding whose was worse. I've heard it said that if you met in a group like this, and everyone threw their problems into the middle of the circle, you'd grab your own back in a minute. Maybe it was a case of _the devil you know is better than the one you don't_, but I could understand that theory now. I was kind of feeling guilty for thinking I had a rough life. Compared to Lula and Mooner, my life was pretty easy. At least my parents wanted me, even if my mother wasn't always my biggest fan. And Morelli. I felt sorry for him. It must be hell to have everyone think so poorly of you just because of what your family had done.

Kloughn leaned over and patted my shoulder. "I know how you feel, Stephanie." He said earnestly. "I'm living my mother's dream instead of mine, too."

I snorted. "I'm _not_ living my mother's dream for me. That's the problem! If I were, I'd be letting Dickie molest me in movie theaters and negotiating with him for Prom night- promising sex in exchange for an engagement ring. I'd follow him off to college and disappear. Become his shadow, the perfect dutiful Burg wife."

Carlos tightened his arms around me and leaned down to look into my face. "Your mom didn't really say that, did she, Babe?" His brow was creased and his mouth was set in a thin line.

I leaned up and kissed him softly. "Yup. Almost word for word." I looked over at Albert. "Instead, I'm dating a Cuban _from outside the Burg_!" I gasped, feigning shock.

Lula's eyes narrowed. "Your mom's pimpin' you out?"

I rolled my eyes. "Only to the highest bidder. The guy that she thinks is most likely to give _me_ a ring and to give _her_ grandbabies. And she'd prefer a rich Italian guy from the Burg, but in a pinch, any middle class white guy will work." I looked over at Kloughn and grinned. "Your mom pimpin' you out, too, Albert?"

He blushed a bright red and started stammering. "N-n-n-n-ooooo!" He cleared his throat nervously. "She just expects me to do what she wants all the time. My schedule is made up of all the AP, advanced prep classes, because she filled out my schedule sheet for me. She wants me to be a doctor so that she can brag to all of her friends at the country club."

I rolled my eyes at him. "So?" I asked. "What's so bad about that?"

He glanced up, a pained look in his eyes. "I can't do it. The classes are too hard for me. I'm going to fail them all. I barely get any sleep at night. I'm up reading and studying, going over my notes. The lectures in class sound like they're in a foreign language. I'm in Calculus, Honors English, and Physics, and I don't belong in any of them."

I bit my lip, feeling guilty for belittling his problems. "What do _you_ want to do, Albert?" I asked softly.

His face lit up in a broad grin. "I want to be a lawyer. I don't know how good I'd be at it, but I love the idea of helping people. Solving cases. Righting wrongs."

I shrugged. "So do it."

He shook his head. "I can't. If I do, my mother would never speak to me again. And she'll never pay for me to go to school for that. If she cuts off my trust fund, I wouldn't have any money for anything."

I laughed. "You have a trust fund?"

Albert nodded.

"I rolled change to buy gas this week!" I snorted. "I couldn't even afford to go to Taco Bell after the football game Friday! I made Carlos stay home and watch a movie at his house because I felt guilty letting him pay for me to go out somewhere."

Albert blushed and lowered his head.

"I understand, Albert, I do. But if I go to college, I'm going to have to pay for all of it myself. I'll have to take out loans, get a part-time job. There's no money set aside for me to go to school. You could work your way through or take out loans, too."

He nodded. "I'd be willing to do that. But it still doesn't solve the problem of my mother." He looked between Carlos and me. "You guys are dating, right?"

I smiled up at Carlos. "Yeah."

"And your mom's not happy about it?"

My smile faded. "No."

"How would you feel if she and your dad told you that you had to choose? That it was either them or Carlos. You couldn't have both. Not just that they'd be upset with you. That they would completely disown you if you dated him, married him. They would never speak to you again, never acknowledge you again. You wouldn't be welcome in their home ever again." His eyes bore into mine.

I gasped. "Your mother can't be that set on you being a doctor, Albert! That's just ridiculous!"

He just sat silently and stared at me.

Lula spoke up. "So if you live out your mother's dream, she's happy and you're miserable. If you live out your dream, nobody's happy."

Albert sighed. "Basically."

Carlos spoke up then. "You could always move away, Albert. Join the military. They have college programs to pay for your schooling. I think that's what I'm going to do."

I looked up at him. It was the first time he'd really talked about what he wanted to do after graduation. He had mentioned a little bit at dinner with my parents last weekend, but he had made it sound like his mind wasn't made up yet. This sounded pretty definite. "You've made your decision then?" I asked softly.

He gave a slight nod. "I think so. I thought about trying a couple of years at Rutgers, but I don't know if I could do it or not. Lester, Tank, and Bobby want to join the Army. Cal's talking about joining the Navy. He wants to be a SEAL."

I smiled. I could picture Cal as a SEAL.

I traced a finger along his cheek. "Why don't you think you could do college?"

He shook his head. "There's a lot of history you don't know about, Babe. Remember that folder in Marco's office?" I bit my lip and nodded, remembering how Mr. Marco had alluded to all of the things that Carlos had been in trouble for over the years.

"That folder doesn't even begin to cover it. Let's just say that the Trenton Police Department has a similar folder on me and some of they guys. In fact, the last time I was arrested, the judge told me that I was done. The next time I appeared before him it was going to be the military or jail. I think I'm going to choose the military before jail chooses me."

I drew my eyebrows together. "You were arrested? For what?"

"Stole a car. Stole it and went for a joyride with Lester."

I shook my head. "And that was only _one_ of the times that you've been arrested?"

He nodded.

"What else have you been arrested for?" I felt a lump in my throat.

His eyes hardened, and he looked down. "A little of everything, Babe. Possession and breaking and entering appear most often."

"Possession of what?"

"Everything. Drugs, guns."

"Why?" I whispered.

He shook his head. "I fell in with a bad crowd at St. Peter's. You either joined the gang or got beat up by the gang. I chose to join. So did most of the guys. After a particularly bad night, I decided I wanted out. That wasn't a popular choice. But I had enough of the guys willing to stand by me that they let us go without too much hassle. We kind of formed our own little group instead."

I blinked. "So you and the guys are in your own gang? And you're what, their leader?"

Carlos shrugged. "I guess in some ways. That's how some people see it."

I looked at him steadily. "And how do _you_ see it?"

"That my friends and I get together a lot to hang out. The same as you and your friends do. And that if someone were to threaten my friends, I'd stand up for them the same as you would stand up for your friends." He paused. "It's just a lot more likely that I'd have to get physical to protect what's mine."

I took a deep breath and held his face in my hands. "And what's yours?" I whispered quietly.

"My friends." He paused and leaned down to kiss me tenderly. "You. You're mine."

I blushed and nodded. I _was_ his. There was no doubt in my mind about that.

Mooner cleared his throat, and I looked over at him. He grinned. "So you never answered the question, Dudette. What'd a girl like you do to get a Saturday detention?"

I rolled my eyes and glared at Morelli. "Someone stuck a pack of cigarettes in Carlos's locker. Marco was going to suspend him for five days, so I said they were mine."

Lula whistled. "You guys are pretty serious then, huh?" she asked looking between us. "Cuz I don't think I'd willingly take the rap for anybody. And definitely not if it were gonna buy me a ticket to a Saturday detention."

I blushed and shrugged my shoulders. "Well it was kinda my fault that Carlos was gonna get in trouble." I took a deep breath. "But, yeah. I'd be willing to do just about anything for him."

Carlos looked shocked. "Babe!" he croaked out before he leaned down and kissed me hungrily. He pulled back, looking at me adoringly. I took a couple deep breaths, trying to calm myself down.

I looked over to see Kloughn blushing a deep red and Lula and Mooner wearing big smiles. That was when I realized that somehow during the kiss I had turned and straddled Carlos. And I was now tightly pressed up against him from groin to shoulder.

I bit my lip and went to move back, but Carlos wrapped his arms around me and held me still. He leaned down and whispered in my ear in a slightly strangled voice. "Babe, please don't move right now."

I gave him a questioning look, and he lifted his hips just slightly. I let out a quiet gasp when I felt him press against me, and when I looked down, I saw the _very large_ reason that he wanted me to stay put.

"Isn't it going to make it worse if I stay here?" I whispered back.

He grinned and nipped my ear, answering me softly. "Not if you stay still."

Albert cleared his throat, and I turned to look at him. "Um, Steph, how is it your fault if someone put cigarettes in Carlos's locker?"

I glared at Morelli again, and he paled and looked down. "Why don't you ask Joe that question, Albert? I'll bet he could explain it a whole lot better than I could."

Albert raised his eyebrows at Joe. Joe blew out a frustrated sigh. "I'm sorry, alright? I didn't mean for you to get detention, Cupcake. I was just pissed!"

I turned around, staying on Carlos's lap to hide his _problem_, but fitting my back against his chest. "Well I was pretty pissed with you Sunday night!" I shot back.

Joe had the decency to look ashamed. "I thought we were on the same page. I thought that's what you wanted. You seemed pretty willing Friday night." He muttered. 

I gasped. "Willing to go to a party with you! Not have sex with you! Geez oh man! What the hell kind of signals am I sending out? You're the second guy in a week to tell me that they thought I wanted them!"

Lula shook her finger at Joe. "You mean you tried to take advantage of Stephanie?"

Joe turned bright red. "I didn't think I was taking advantage. I thought she wanted it."

I crossed my arms across my chest. "The '_No, Joe! Stop!'_ may have been a clue if you had been listening!" I said snarkily.

Lula narrowed her eyes. "So you stuck cigarettes in Carlos's locker to get back at Stephanie? Why didn't you just stick them in her locker? Why bring him into it?"

"Because Carlos was there when it happened." I informed Lula. "He rather forcefully yanked Joe off of me, punched him, and threw him in the dumpster behind the Tasty Pastry."

Lula, Albert, and Mooner started laughing uncontrollably. Joe glared at me. "Thanks a lot, Cupcake!" he muttered.

I shrugged. "That's what happened, Joe. Own it."

He shook his head. "I'm sorry, alright? It was a shitty thing to do."

"Don't apologize to me." I leaned to the side and looked at Carlos. "Apologize to him. He's the one that could have gotten suspended over your stupid prank."

Morelli's face became stony. "Sorry, man." He said woodenly.

Carlos nodded.

Albert looked at me and Carlos. "So that's why the two of you are in here?"

"Yup." I answered back.

Albert looked at Joe. "Then what did you do? Did you get caught putting the cigarettes in?"

Joe scrubbed his hands across his face. "Not quite." He looked over at me. "After Steph turned me down Sunday night, I hooked up with Joyce Barnhardt. And then Monday night, I spray painted a poem about her under the bleachers. The cops came and caught my cousin and me with the paint. Marco wanted to suspend me, but the coach convinced him to give me a Saturday detention instead. He didn't want me to be ineligible to play for the game last night."

Lula raised an eyebrow at him. "That poem was nasty. Why would you write a nasty ass poem like that about a girl?"

Joe shook his head. "I don't know. I was drunk. I wasn't thinking straight. I was still pissed over Stephanie. Somehow it just seemed like the right thing to do."

Lula huffed. "But you know that it wasn't, right?"

Joe sighed. "Yeah, I know."

He turned to Lula. "What are _you_ in here for?"

Lula pursed her lips and crossed her arms over her chest. "Dress code violations."

Amen, Hallelujah! I could see that one, alright!

Joe snorted. "You got a Saturday detention for a dress code violation? What the Hell did you do? Show up to school naked?"

"No, dumbass! Every time I got writ up, I got an afterschool detention. But once you get five afterschool detentions, you get a Saturday one. So here I am."

My mouth dropped open. "You've been written up _five times_ for dress code violations? It's only the beginning of October!"

Lula rolled her eyes. "Yeah. So what?"

"So why don't you wear something different to school?"

"Were you payin' any attention earlier, white girl? I ain't exactly got a whole lotta money just lyin' around waitin' for me to spend it. Not like the little trust fund baby over there." Albert blushed. "My mom's a ho on Stark Street. We share the same wardrobe. My options are kinda limited!"

I cleared my throat. "Well, our church has a free clothing closet once a month. Anybody can go in and shop for free. It's all donated items. All different sizes and styles."

Lula lowered her head. "I ain't no charity case!" she snapped.

I bit my lip. "I didn't mean to offend you. I just thought…"

She blew out a breath. "Yeah, I know. Thanks. Maybe sometime I'll ask you about it."

I nodded.

She turned to Albert. "So what'd you do, Kloughn? Blow up the Chemistry lab?"

Albert turned bright red and mumbled out an answer. Lula leaned closer. "You stole what?"

Albert covered his face with his hands. "I stole the key to my Physics test."

Mooner let out a low whistle. "Whoa, Dude."

Morelli raised an eyebrow. "I'm guessing you got caught."

Albert nodded miserably. "Yeah. I had to decide between a zero on the test and a Saturday detention. I had to take the detention. There's no way I could take the zero. My mom thinks I'm here for a Physics Club meeting."

I looked at Albert, concerned. "You need to change your schedule, Albert. This is the beginning of the year. If you're struggling this bad already, it's only going to get worse."

He looked up at me with watery eyes. "I can't." He whispered.

"Sure you can. Set up a meeting with the guidance counselor. Explain the situation. She'll help you switch your schedule. Maybe she can even help you talk to your mom."

He nodded. "I know I have to. It's just…" He chewed on his lower lip.

"Do you want me to go with you?" I offered.

Lula, Albert, Joe, and Mooner all looked at me in astonishment.

"You'd go with me?" Albert asked in disbelief.

I shrugged my shoulders. "If you wanted me to."

"But why would you want to do something that nice for me?" Albert pressed.

"Because we're friends now. Right?" I asked him.

The four of them just gaped at me, open mouthed.

I shifted uncomfortably. "Well, aren't we?"

Lula raised an eyebrow at her. "You mean to tell me that if I walked over to your lunch table on Monday, you'd let me sit with you?"

I shrugged. "Why wouldn't I?"

Mooner narrowed his eyes. "Aren't you a majorette?"

I bit my lip. "Yeah. And?"

Mooner's eyes widened. "And you'd be willing to eat lunch with a black girl who looks like a hooker from Stark Street?"

I glared at him. "Sure. Why not. We both have the same boots."

Kloughn swallowed hard. "You wouldn't turn around and make fun of me as soon as I walked away?"

I threw my hands up. "How horrible and superficial do you think I am? I'm not like that! I don't judge people based on their clothes. Or their hair color. Or their home life. I eat lunch every day with a guy who has a flaming skull tattooed on his forehead for chrissake!"

I felt Carlos's chest shake with silent laughter behind me.

Lula tilted her head to the side. "You mean it, don't you?"

"Yeah!" I said in my snarkiest voice, rolling my eyes. "If I were that concerned with appearances, don't you think I'd actually be living the perfect life that my mom has laid out for me instead of doing what I want?"

Carlos wrapped his arms around me. "She's the least judgmental person I've ever met." He said, dropping a kiss on my head.

Joe nodded. In a strangled voice he confirmed, "She's never treated me like I had the Morelli Man Curse. She's one of the only people who is truly nice to me."

Lula, Mooner, and Kloughn just stared at me.

"Are you up for Homecoming Queen?" Kloughn asked, blushing.

I snorted. "Are you kidding? I'm nowhere near popular enough for that. I'd have to bleach my hair and grow my breasts two cup sizes to even be in the running!"

Lula shook her head. "Well that's a damn shame. I'd vote for you."

"Me, too." Echoed Mooner and Kloughn.

"Save a dance for me at Homecoming?" Joe asked quietly.

"You're going?" I asked.

He nodded.

"With who?"

He grimaced. "Joyce."

I looked at Carlos. When he nodded, I turned back to Joe. "OK."

Carlos leaned down and whispered in my ear. "You're already my Homecoming Queen, Babe, even if you're not Trenton High's."

I blushed. "Thanks, Batman."

Suddenly I turned and looked at Mooner. "Hey, Mooner! You never told us what _you_ did to land a Saturday detention."

Mooner grinned. "You wanna know what I did to get in here? Nothing. I didn't have anything better to do."

At his admission, we all started snickering. That turned into full out hysterical laughter, and pretty soon we were lying on the ground, trying to catch our breath.

**C&S C&S C&S C&S C&S**

Once we had aired out the lounge and cleaned up our mess, we walked back down to the first floor. It was 3:30, and almost time for Mr. Marco to spring us.

I picked up the paper I had left sitting on the table and turned to the group in a blind panic. "We never wrote our papers! Mr. Marco said we each had to write a thousand word essay, and I haven't even started mine! Did you guys write yours?"

Everyone else shook their heads no. Biting my lip, I turned to Kloughn. "Albert?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you gonna write your paper?"

Albert shrugged. "Yeah, why?"

"Well it's kind of a waste for all of us to write our paper, don't you think?"

Albert shifted nervously. "Oh. But that's what Marco wants us to do…."

I smiled. "True, but I think we'd all kinda say the same thing."

Albert narrowed his eyes. "You just don't want to write your paper. Right?"

I smiled. "True, but you're the smartest, right?"

Albert blushed and puffed up his chest a little. "Oh, well…"

I continued. "We trust you."

Albert looked at Lula, Carlos, Joe, and Mooner.

"Yeah." Joe agreed. They all nodded.

Albert smiled. "Alright. I'll do it."

I grinned. "Great!"

I tilted my head and looked at Lula. She stared back. Reaching out my hand, I grabbed hers and tugged. "Come on…"

"Where're we going?" Lula asked suspiciously.

"Come on!"

I drug Lula back to the librarian's office and wiped off all of her bright, garish makeup. I dug through my purse and started reapplying, giving her a more natural look. "Don't be afraid." I soothed her.

"Don't stick that in my eye!"

"I'm not sticking it! Just close…. Just go like that.…" I closed my eyes, and Lula copied me. "Good."

I kept applying the makeup as I talked to her. "You know you really do look a lot better without all that black shit on your eyes."

Lula huffed. "Hey! I like that black shit."

"This looks a lot better." I reassured her. "Look up."

"Why're you being so nice to me?" she questioned.

I smiled. "Because you're letting me."

Lula shook her head. "You really meant it when you said I could sit with you at lunch, huh?" she asked with wonder in her voice.

"Yeah. In fact, I think you should. Carlos has a friend that I'd like to introduce you to."

She rolled her eyes at me. "No offense, white girl, but I'm not attracted to Cuban guys."

I grinned. "Then it's a good thing that Tank is the biggest, blackest guy I know, huh?"

She sucked in a deep breath. "Oh yeah?"

I grinned. "Yeah."

"Maybe I will join you for lunch…"

**C&S C&S C&S C&S C&S**

Albert shook out the paper and cleared his throat. "I think I'm done." He announced.

We all sat up, waiting to see what Albert had come up with. When he was done reading, he looked up hesitantly.

"That's great, Albert." I whispered. Everyone else nodded, and we headed to the door, leaving the essay for Mr. Marco on the front desk.

_Dear Mr. Marco, _

_ We accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong. But we think you're crazy to make us write an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us- in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is: _

…_a brain (Albert)_

…_and an athlete (Joe)_

_...and a basket case (Lula)_

…_a princess (Stephanie)_

…_a burnout (Mooner)_

…_and a criminal. (Carlos)_

_Does that answer your question?_

_ Sincerely yours, _

_ The Breakfast Club_

_**If I were evil, I'd quit here, but I am happy to put TBC- To Be Continued! ;) Thanks for the many reviews and PMs encouraging me to keep going! I have to say that I was shocked at the number of people who are enjoying reading this story! I guarantee at least until Homecoming. After that, I'll keep going until I run out of ideas. This story is just too fun to write to stop now!**_

**Additional quotes/references from sources other than The Breakfast Club:**

"_Puff puff, give. Puff puff, give! You fuckin' up the rotation!" From the April 1995 movie "Friday"_

_(What's the Story) Morning Glory?- Oasis album released October 2, 1995 _


	14. Chapter 14

_A/N: Thanks again for all of the encouragement to keep going! I am so amazed at the number of people who are enjoying this story!_

**Chapter 14**

**Saturday, October 7, 1995 (cont'd)**

Carlos wrapped his arm around my waist and guided me up the walk to the front door, my dress bag slung over his back. He opened the door and ushered me inside. "Mama!" he called out.

Mrs. Manoso came out of the kitchen and grinned when she saw us. She came up and kissed both of my cheeks. "I have so many choices for you!" she squealed, her eyes twinkling.

I laughed. "That's what Carlos tells me!"

She stuck her tongue out at him and turned back towards me. "These men. They do not understand how important it is to have the right accessories!" She waved her hand at him dismissively. "He and his father have been teasing me for days!"

I smiled. "Well, I really appreciate it! This way I don't have to buy all new jewelry that I'll only wear once."

She spotted the dress bag over Carlos's shoulder and clapped her hands together. "Is that your dress?"

I nodded.

She grabbed the bag from Carlos and waved her hand in a shooing motion at him. "Go find something to do for a little while, Carlitos! We'll be busy!"

He rolled his eyes at us, and I laughed as his mother hustled me up the stairs and into her bedroom. Practically the entire room was covered with costume jewelry. There were necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and even hair clips spread out over the dressers, the desk, and even the bed.

Mrs. Manoso's eyes twinkled. "I'll step out so that you can put on your dress. We have to see what the jewelry will look like with the dress!"

I smiled and nodded, and she backed out of the room. I quickly shed my skirt, turtleneck, and sweater. I pulled out my dress and shimmied into it, pulling it up and over my hips, and sliding my arms through the straps. Once I got it zipped, I quickly folded up my discarded clothes and shoved them into the bottom of the bag. I sat my heels on the floor by the bag, not sure if I really needed to put them on yet or not.

Mrs. Manoso knocked. "Are you ready, _carina_?" she called through the door.

"Yep! All set!" I answered back.

She opened the door and gasped, her hands going up to her cheeks. "You look so beautiful, Stephanie!"

I blushed. "Thank you!"

She walked over and touched the dress, watching the sequins shimmer. She admired the cut and the color, and then she touched my neck, _tsk tsk-ing_. "That stupid son of mine!" she growled. "These marks had better fade before next weekend! I want a nice picture of him and his beautiful date all dressed up for their Senior Homecoming!"

I bit my lip, trying not to smile. "I can always cover them up with some concealer if they're still there."

"Still!" she huffed, making her way over to a dresser full of jewelry.

She waved me over. "Take a look, Stephanie. See if anything catches your eye. We can try on everything that you like and see what works the best."

We walked around the room, dismissing necklaces that were the wrong length for the neckline, and trying on ones that looked like they might be close. There were several beautiful ones. Any of them would look good with the dress, but I hadn't found one that I _loved_ until I saw the ones laid out on the bed.

"Oh!" I said breathily as I reached out towards the bed. There was a beautiful set of jewelry- a necklace, earrings, and bracelet that all matched. They were made up of round blue colored "gems" with faux diamonds clustered out around them. Mrs. Manoso helped me fasten the necklace and bracelet, and I put the earrings in.

We both stood grinning like fools in front of the mirror, checking out the complete look. She patted my shoulder. "Definitely this set, Stephanie! The blue matches perfectly!"

I nodded. "And they're just the right size. Big enough to see without being gaudy." The dress itself was so bright and sparkly that anything too big was too much.

"Do you know how you're going to wear your hair yet?"

I chewed on my lower lip. "I hadn't really thought about it. Probably in big banana curls, but I'm not sure if I'll pull it all up or just part of it."

She played with my hair a little, pulling half of it up and leaving the other half to fall below my shoulders. She looked at me thoughtfully for a minute and then walked to her closet and pulled out a small box. She sat the lid on the dresser and pulled out a set of jeweled combs. They were silver with clear and blue colored gems set in them. They were beautiful.

Mrs. Manoso used them to expertly pin back the sides of my hair as I watched in the mirror. It looked perfect!

"Would you like to borrow the combs, too, dear?" she asked quietly.

I blinked at her. "They're beautiful. Are you sure you wouldn't mind?"

She smiled. "They haven't been worn in years. I think it's time that they got used again."

"They're yours?" I asked.

She nodded, smiling broadly. "They were my _something blue_ when I married Carlos's father."

I gasped. "They're real?"

"Yes. My parents bought me the diamond and sapphire combs as my wedding present."

I shook my head. "I couldn't! That's too much! What if I lost them or ruined them?"

She just smiled and patted my arm. "None of my girls have ever wanted to wear them. It's a shame to have them just sit in a box. I'd rather have someone wear them and risk something happening to them than just leave them in my closet for the next 40 years."

I bit my lip. "My mother has a beautiful pearl necklace at home. She let my older sister, Valerie, wear it at her first Communion and Prom. She's planning on letting Valerie wear it at her wedding, but she's never offered it to me." I took out the combs and handed them back to Mrs. Manoso. "There's probably a good reason why." I blushed and looked down. "I'm not always the most graceful or careful person. I'd hate for something to happen to them."

She took my hands gently. "Stephanie, I already trust you with something much more important and valuable to me than a pair of diamond and sapphire combs."

I looked up at her with my forehead creased. "You do?"

She smiled gently. "I trust you not to break my Carlito's heart. He is in love with you, Stephanie. I've never seen him like this before." She smiled and got a faraway look on her face. "It reminds me of when Ricardo and I were first dating. It wouldn't surprise me at all if the two of you ended up married someday. If I can trust you with my son, then surely I can trust you with my combs." She placed them back in my hands and closed my fingers around them.

I was shocked. I'd never had such complete acceptance from someone before. Well, maybe from my dad and my Grandma Mazur. I was used to people singing Valerie's praises, not mine.

"Will you wear them?" she asked gently.

I smiled shyly. "I'd love to."

We boxed up the jewelry and the combs that I was going to borrow and put them in the bottom of my dress bag. Then I helped Mrs. Manoso box up all of the rest of the jewelry and separate it into piles - one pile for each person who had sent items.

When we finished, Mrs. Manoso kissed both of my cheeks and walked out so that I could change.

**C&S C&S C&S C&S C&S**

I walked downstairs, carrying my dress bag carefully over my arm and looked for Carlos. I finally found him in the family room, playing video games with Lester.

Lester looked up as I walked in. "Hey, Beautiful!" he grinned.

Carlos paused the game and stood up to brush a kiss across my lips. I remembered his mother's words, _It wouldn't surprise me at all if the two of you end up married someday_, and I felt a little flutter in my stomach.

"Did you find jewelry that you liked, Babe?" he asked.

I nodded. "And a set of hair combs."

"I'm not surprised! There was enough stuff up there for thirty girls to wear!"

I punched him lightly on the arm, grinning. I flopped down on the couch. "You guys go ahead and finish your game. After our late night last night and our early morning this morning, I'm exhausted!"

"Take a little nap, Babe." Carlos said. "We'll go out for dinner and a movie when you wake up."

I yawned and nodded. Sounded good to me!

**C&S C&S C&S C&S C&S**

**Maria's POV**

After seeing the marks on Stephanie's neck last night, Ricardo and I had waited up for Carlos. When he got home from her house, we sat him down to have a long talk with him.

I was not a fool. Nor was I a prude. There wasn't much that I hadn't done myself or punished one of my children for doing.

I knew that physical intimacy was important in a relationship. It didn't bother me at all if Carlos and Stephanie were affectionate. In fact, I didn't even mind encouraging it a little. I knew that the closeness that comes from snuggling, cuddling, and even a little necking can help a couple grow closer.

As my mother-in-law Rosa told Carlos, "To hell with the saying 'Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?' You wouldn't buy a car without test-driving it, right? You might as well find out if you're sexually compatible with the person you're planning on spending the rest of your life with!"

I personally agreed with Rosa, but Carlos had been absolutely mortified to hear such things coming out of his grandmother's mouth. "Abuela!" he had moaned, his face buried in his hands. "Stephanie is not that kind of girl!"

Ricardo had pinned Carlos with a stare. "If she's truly not that kind of girl, you make sure that you treat her with respect."

Carlos had nodded. "Yes, sir."

I smiled remembering the look on his face when he had walked in the door last night. My Carlitos was in love!

I hummed happily to myself as I bustled around the kitchen. I just adored Stephanie! She was a sweet girl, a good girl. And most importantly, she loved my Carlitos and made him happy!

I peeked out into the family room. Stephanie was lying down on the couch, napping, while Carlos and Lester played video games. I wanted to smack my forehead. Or better yet, the back of Carlos's head! _Estupido!_

I walked into the family room, smiling sweetly. "Carlos! Why don't you take Stephanie up to your room to lie down. She would be much more comfortable up there than down here."

Carlos nodded. "You're probably right." He gently picked Stephanie up off of the couch and headed towards his room.

I waited until he was out of the room, and then I turned to Lester. I glared at him. "You. Get out of here."

He grinned at me. "I love you, too, Tia Maria!" he teased.

I stuck my tongue out at him. "I'm trying to get my Carlitos to spend time with his Stephanie, not play video games with his cousin!"

Lester laughed and shut off the TV and game system. He leaned over and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "Tell Carlos I'll see him later!"

I grinned. "Goodbye, my favorite nephew!"

He laughed as he walked out the front door.

Carlos came back into the room just moments later. "Where'd Lester go?"

I smiled innocently. "He had to help Tia Carolina with something. What are you doing back down here?"

Carlos raised an eyebrow at me. "Where else did you expect me to be?"

"You must be tired, too. You didn't get much sleep last night either. Why don't you go and lie down with Stephanie for a little bit."

Carlos just looked at me. "You want me to go lie down with Stephanie?"

I shrugged. "I trust my son to behave himself in my house. But I do want you to leave your door cracked open."

Carlos stared at me for a minute longer as if trying to read my mind, but I just smiled pleasantly. Finally he shrugged. "OK," and started up the stairs.

"Do you want me to make dinner, or are the two of you going out?"

Carlos paused and looked over the railing. "We'll probably just grab a pizza and head to the movies or something."

I smiled sweetly. "OK. Go take a little rest first."

He just shook his head and kept walking up the stairs. I waited until he was out of sight, and then I did a little victory dance on my way back into the kitchen. I was going to get a new daughter-in-law out of this; I just knew it!

**C&S C&S C&S C&S C&S**

**Steph's POV**

I woke up and felt a pair of strong arms circling my waist. I rolled over gently and looked into Carlos's face.

He smiled at me. "Hey." He whispered.

I smiled back. "Hey."

He leaned over and gently kissed my lips. "Mmm," I moaned and wrapped my arms around his neck.

He pulled back, his eyes dark and filled with lust. "Babe!" he said huskily. "You're moaning in my bed. You're going to give me ideas!"

I blushed but grinned at him. "I thought you already had ideas. In fact, I thought you said you had 82 ideas of things you wanted to do with me this morning."

He groaned and captured my lips once again, pulling me onto his lap. My short jean skirt was riding up around my hips, and I gasped as I felt his hard length press against my center. I arched back and rubbed against him, and he groaned. "_Dios!_" he managed to choke out.

His large hand rested on my bottom, pressing me tighter against him. He thrust against me, and instinctively I rocked back against him. The thin cotton of my panties was the only barrier between my skin and his jeans. The rough fabric of his pants was doing incredible things to me, and I whimpered as he ground against me.

He claimed my lips then, thrusting his tongue in my mouth in the same rhythm that his hips were thrusting against mine. I broke away from the kiss, panting, and screamed his name as I felt a gush of wetness fill my panties. Seconds later he thrust against me, calling out my name.

I collapsed against his chest, my heart racing. He gently stroked my hair and whispered Spanish in my ear. Once my breathing was back to normal, he cupped my face in his hands. "God, you're beautiful." He whispered.

I blushed as I looked into his face, so open, so much in love with me. I knew it was the same look that was on my face right now. I buried my face in his shoulder, my cheeks burning.

"Why are you hiding your face from me?"

"Because I'm embarrassed!"

"Why?"

"I don't know what came over me! I've never done something like that before!" I whispered.

He pulled my head back. "Never done what? Had an orgasm?"

I blushed furiously and nodded.

He grinned and captured my lips.

"Then I'm glad you had your first one with me." He paused and looked at me. "Does that mean that you've never…"

I shook my head. "Never." I whispered.

He looked thoughtful, and I laid my head on his shoulder.

"Carlos, would you…" I cleared my throat. "I want you to…" I couldn't finish.

"What, Babe?" he whispered softly.

I shook my head against him. "Never mind."

He put a finger under my chin and tipped it up to look at him. "What do you want? Anything. You can have it." He leaned in and gently kissed my lips.

I felt my face burn, and I buried my face in Carlos's chest. "Would you make love to me?" I whispered.

I felt him jerk underneath me. Obviously that wasn't what he was expecting.

"Not _right now_." I continued. "But when the timing is right. Do you think that maybe you would…"

He sucked in a deep breath and wrapped his arms around me. He rubbed circles on my back. "You know that it will hurt, right?" he asked softly.

I nodded. Mary Lou had told me bits and pieces about her first time with Lenny.

He pulled back so that he could look into my face. "I don't want to hurt you." His eyes looked anguished.

"So you want me to be with someone else?" I asked matter of factly.

His eyes flashed. "God no!" he growled.

I grabbed his hands in mine and looked down at them. "I trust you, Carlos. I've never trusted anyone as much as I trust you. I know that you'd never hurt me on purpose. I know that you'd be gentle with me, take your time, and go slow. You'd do everything you could to make sure that it felt good." I looked back up at him, and he nodded.

I bit my lip. "Is that a yes?" I asked him.

He pulled me against him and squeezed me tight. "Yeah, Babe." He sighed. "That's a yes."

**TBC**

**Thanks to GabbyDunk who encouraged (pestered) me to get this chapter posted and also messaged back and forth with me to come up with a cutesy nap scene! Thanks for the gentle nudge (shove) to keep going! LOL! ;)**

**So any thoughts on when would be 'the right time?'**


	15. Chapter 15

_A/N: I had to update right away! I knew what I wanted to happen on Sunday, and I couldn't wait to write it down! Let me know if you like it! ;)_

**Chapter 15**

**Sunday, October 8, 1995**

**Steph's POV**

I woke up early Sunday morning and shuffled in to use the bathroom and shower. All squeaky clean, I belted my robe around my waist and headed back into my room to get dressed for work.

I met my mom in the hallway. She was coming out of her room as I was headed into mine. She had started to tell me "good morning," when she gasped and reached her hand up to touch my neck. _Crap!_

"Stephanie Michelle Plum! What happened to your neck?" she screeched.

I blushed. "I burnt myself with the curling iron." I lied weakly.

She glared at me. "I knew that boy was trouble! You are grounded for the rest of the week, young lady! And that boy is not allowed in this house until he picks you up for the dance on Saturday!"

"Mom!" I gasped. "I was going to invite Carlos to come over for dinner tonight!"

She folded her arms across her chest. "Absolutely not!"

I clenched my hands into fists, angry tears welling up in my eyes. "I'm grounded for my _birthday?_ And I can't even go out after the Homecoming game? Thanks a lot, Mom!"

The angry look on her face wavered for a second. Evidently she hadn't realized everything that I'd be missing out on by being grounded this week.

"Well, maybe the whole week is a little harsh." She amended, looking down. "3 days. Today, Monday, and Tuesday."

"Fine." I growled, stomping back into my room to change. I knew that I should have been happy that she shortened my punishment, but I just couldn't find it within me to be grateful right now.

**C&S C&S C&S C&S C&S**

Carlos walked into the bakery and smiled when he saw me. "Hey, Babe!" he grinned, his eyes crinkling up at the corners. In spite of my bad mood, I couldn't help but smile back at him.

"Hey!" I responded. I blushed, remembering what had happened the last time we greeted each other that way.

Carlos saw my blush and got a wicked grin on his face. "Thinking about yesterday?" he teased.

My eyes opened wide. "It's a good thing there aren't any customers in here right now, Batman!" I said, smacking him on the arm.

He looked around as if he were just noticing that we were alone. "Hmmm… all by ourselves!" he teased. He picked me up and sat me on the low counter behind the display case, fitting himself between my legs.

He wagged his eyebrows at me, looking more like Lester than himself. "So about your request from last night…" he teased, eyes sparkling.

I punched his arm, sticking out my tongue. "Absolutely not, buddy! First of all, wrong time! Second of all, I am _not_ losing my virginity behind the counter of the Tasty Pastry!"

He burst out laughing and let me hop down, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "Babe! You know I respect you more than that, right?"

I leaned my head into his shoulder and nodded. Yeah, I did know.

**C&S C&S C&S C&S C&S**

Carlos bought a Danish and coffee and sat at "our" high table by the counter, visiting with me in between customers. "So what are your plans for tonight?" he asked, taking a big bite.

I blew out a sigh and leaned against the counter. "Well, I was gonna ask you to come over for dinner, but…"

"But…" he prompted when I didn't continue.

I bit my lip. "But my mom saw my neck this morning, and I'm grounded for the next three days."

Carlos looked pained. "Sorry, Babe!"

I shook my head. "It's not all your fault. I enjoyed you leaving them there."

He gave me a small smile. "So I can't come over for dinner tonight?" 

I shook my head. "Definitely not for the next three days. And you might not be allowed over at all until Saturday."

He walked over and leaned against the counter next to me. "Does that mean I can't follow you home after work?"

I shook my head. "Nope. Well, I guess you could follow me to my house, but you can't pull in the drive."

"Can I still visit with you here at work?"

I smiled. "My mom never said you couldn't. And it _is_ a public place…"

He wrapped his arm around me. "Well, at least there's that."

"Yeah." I sighed and pushed off of the counter, picking up the napkin dispensers that needed refilled. "Promise me it won't be too terrible."

"It won't. I'll still see you at school. Then I'll bring dinner and hang out here 'til you close. I can even still take you to the bank and follow you home. The only real difference is that I'll have to get my good night kiss here instead of on your front porch."

I laughed. "That might be better anyhow! At least here my mom won't be flicking on porch lights and knocking on windows!"

**C&S C&S C&S C&S C&S**

Carlos helped me get ready to close, the same as he had almost every night for the past week. But this time we were quieter, not joking around and talking as much as we usually did. Instead of looking forward to leaving, I was dreading it. Because I knew that once I left, I wouldn't see Carlos again until school the next morning.

When we walked out to his car, I slid across the front seat and buried my lips in his neck.

He groaned. "You're going to make me wreck the car if you sit like that while I'm driving."

I smiled and sat up just a little bit, resting my head on his shoulder. Once we'd deposited the bank bag, he took me back to the Tasty Pastry to get my car. He climbed out and took my keys from me, unlocking my car. He pinned me up against it and kissed me thoroughly before whispering, "good night" and opening the car door for me.

I leaned up to whisper something in his ear, and he stood up straight, searching my eyes. "You're sure?"

I nodded, and a wicked grin broke across his face. "Ice cream it is!" he said as he helped me climb into the car.

He followed me back to my house and watched me pull into the drive. But instead of pulling in after me, he kept going down the street, headed home. My stomach lurched as I sat in my car and watched him leave in my rearview mirror.

I stomped up the steps to the porch and angrily turned the knob on the front door. I yanked it open, and then slammed it shut behind me.

My mother came out into the foyer, her hands on her hips. "Stephanie! Don't slam that door!" she lectured.

"It slipped." I muttered under my breath and headed to my room to drop off my coat and purse.

My dad called out from the living room. "No Carlos for dinner tonight?"

I threw my stuff in my room and stomped back down the stairs. "No!" I growled.

My dad turned to look at me. "You guys get into a fight?"

I flopped down onto the couch and huffed out a breath. "No, Mom grounded me for three days. Didn't she tell you?"

He raised his eyebrows. "No." Turning his head towards the kitchen, my dad called out, "Helen!"

She walked into the living room and turned her back to me, facing my dad. "Yes?"

"Why is Stephanie grounded for three days?"

My mom's cheeks turned a bright pink. If possible, I think she was more embarrassed than I was. "Look at her neck, Frank!"

My dad looked over at me, and I rolled my eyes, pulling the neck down on my turtleneck.

He shrugged his shoulders. "And?"

She stuck her hands on her hips. "What do you mean 'And?' Do you want our daughter pregnant by Christmas?"

"Mom!" I screeched, shocked.

My dad pursed his lips. "Come on now, Helen! Stephanie isn't that kind of girl! That's the whole reason she's not dating that Dickie boy anymore. I trust her to do what's right, and I would think that you would, too."

My mother blew out a breath, exasperated. "I trust _her_. I don't trust _him_!"

I stood up, my own hands on my hips. "Carlos has never been anything but a gentleman with me, mom!" Well, except for last night…

She glared at me. "A gentleman would not leave those kinds of marks on your neck, Stephanie!"

"Maybe I wanted him to!" I said, eyes narrowed.

She threw her hands up in the air. "Do you see why she's grounded?" my mother yelled.

My dad scrubbed his hands across his face. "I think you're both overreacting!"

"Overreacting?" we both screeched at him in unison.

Luckily for my dad, the timer went off on the oven, and my mother ran back in the kitchen to pull out the roast.

I threw myself back down on the couch, still miffed.

"It'll all blow over, pumpkin." My dad said, reaching over to pat my knee.

"Well thanks a lot for sticking up for me!" I grumbled.

He smiled. "I'll talk to your mother later, OK?"

" 'K." I agreed, slightly mollified.

**C&S C&S C&S C&S C&S**

Dinner was not fun. It was tense and uncomfortable. My mother and I spent the entire time trying to avoid eye contact with one another, and the silence was deafening. My dad just sat with his head down, shoveling in food and trying to pretend that nothing was wrong.

I choked down my meal and a small piece of pie. When I finished, I stood up and started clearing the table. I gathered up all of the dishes and took them into the kitchen. Without a word, I started scraping them into the trash and packaging up the leftovers. After her few attempts at talking to me were met with stony silence, my mom gave up and walked out into the living room to watch television with my dad.

Feeling sorry for myself, I finished washing and drying the dishes, put them all away, and wiped down the counters. When I was done, I headed towards the stairs. "I'm going up to my room to finish my English paper." I called into the living room.

My mother looked up from her crocheting and looked almost sad for a minute before she nodded and looked back down. My dad just grunted that he had heard me, never taking his eyes off of the TV.

I walked into my room and turned on the light and the radio. I pulled out all of the materials that I needed- my notebook, my class notes, pens, pencils, and "The Grapes of Wrath." I got everything set up on my desk and then I pulled my door shut and headed into the bathroom.

I left the bathroom light off and made sure that the door was mostly closed, just open a crack. Tiptoeing across the floor, I slowly eased the bathroom window open and gingerly climbed out onto the roof of the back porch. Holding my breath, I lowered myself down onto the trash can and hopped down into the backyard. I stayed close to the house until I was past the kitchen window, and then I ran towards the alley.

Carlos picked me up and spun me around. He kissed me hungrily, pinning me against the fence that ran along the back of the alley. He pulled back, resting his forehead on mine. "Babe! I loved watching you climb out that window to come and see me!"

I blushed, and he began nibbling on my ear lobe. "But you act like you've done that before. Should I be jealous?" he teased.

I grinned and smacked his chest playfully. "Only of Mary Lou. She's usually the one I'm sneaking out to see."

He grinned. "Good to know!"

I laced my fingers through his and tugged him down the alley towards his car. "You promised me ice cream, mister!" I teased.

He grinned. "Yeah, I did."

_**TBC**_

_**I've been waiting for an excuse to ground Stephanie and make her sneak out the bathroom window! Hey, JE says she used to do it all the time! I figured why not give her some practice! ;)**_


	16. Chapter 16

_A/N: Today is my birthday- yippee! LOL! And since it is also Good Friday, we don't have school (I teach). So in honor of that, I am spending my day off relaxing and skipping ahead in time from Sunday to Thursday so that we can celebrate Steph's birthday with her! I hope you enjoy! ;)_

**Chapter 16**

**Thursday, October 12, 1995**

I woke up Thursday morning with a smile on my face. "Happy Birthday to me! Happy Birthday to me! Happy Birthday dear me-eee; Happy Birthday to me!" I hummed. I was officially 18. In the grand scheme of things, it didn't mean a whole lot right now. I mean, I was still living with my parents, so it wasn't like I could go crazy and do whatever I wanted.

A grin spread across my face as I imagined telling my parents that I was moving out now that I was 18. That Carlos and I had decided to get our own place. I snorted. My mother would have a coronary!

I rolled out of bed and headed for the shower, checking out my neck in the mirror. The marks were pretty much gone now. By Saturday, a little concealer and some powder would ensure that they were invisible in the Homecoming pictures. I smiled. Mrs. Manoso would be thrilled!

I stepped into the shower and daydreamed about last night, letting the warm water wake me up.

_Yesterday was Wednesday, which meant that I had been off of work for majorette practice. Since I had to work tonight, my mother had made my birthday dinner for me last night, and my grandparents had come over to celebrate. I had wanted Carlos to join us, and since I wasn't grounded any longer, I thought he should have been allowed. My mother, however, disagreed. She said that he was still not allowed over until the dance Saturday night. I had been disappointed, but Carlos had reassured me that it was fine, saying that he'd rather help me celebrate on my actual birthday anyway._

_My mother had gone out of her way to make all of my favorites, from fettuccine alfredo to pineapple upside down cake. I knew that it was her way of saying that she wished things were better between us._

_My parents had given me a birthday card with $20.00 in cash and a note. The note said that they had paid my car payment and my car insurance for the month as my gift. The $20.00 was meant to be for gas or an evening out with friends. I looked up at them with tears in my eyes. I couldn't believe they had done that for me! I was speechless!_

"_Thank you!" I finally choked out._

_My dad had to clear his throat a few times before he could answer. "Your mother and I knew that those payments were a big burden on you this month, Pumpkin. We thought maybe this would help you out a little."_

_My mother nodded and smiled a wobbly smile. "We wanted to do something bigger for you. It's not every day that you turn 18 and become an adult." She looked down at her hands. "For Valerie's 18th birthday, we bought her a set of sterling silver earrings from Tiffany's. But your father and I thought that you would appreciate this more." She looked up at me as if questioning their logic._

_I nodded. "Thank you!"_

_My Grandma Mazur had reached over then and handed me their gift. I opened the turquoise box to find a pair of sterling silver earrings from Tiffany's. My mother and I looked at them in astonishment. We both knew that my grandparents were on a tight budget. And while they weren't in danger of going bankrupt any time soon, they were incredibly frugal with their money. They just didn't spend money on non-essentials very often. They hardly ever ate out or bought new clothes. The one thing that my grandmother 'splurged' on was her weekly trip to the beauty salon._

"_Grandma! You shouldn't have!" I gasped, staring wide eyed at the box._

"_Mother! Daddy!" my mom rasped out, unbelieving. _

_My grandfather just sat silently, smiling at our shocked faces. My grandmother leaned over and patted my hand. "Well, now. It just wouldn't do for Valerie to get something like that for her 18th birthday and not you, now would it? People would think we were playing favorites." She winked at me, and I blinked back the tears._

_If anything, my Grandma was right. They _were_ playing favorites; only_ I_ was the favorite, not Valerie. For Valerie's 18__th__ birthday, my grandparents had gotten her a sweater._

_I stood up and walked over to them, flinging my arms around my Grandma and then my Grandpa. "Thank you!"_

_My Grandma smiled as I walked back over to my seat. I took out my cheap pair of metal hoops and put in the new ones. _

"_So what's this I hear about you dating a hottie?"_

_I looked up at her in surprise. "What?"_

"_Well according to Evelyn Fischer, there was a boy at the Tasty Pastry the other night while you were working. She said that you two seemed very close. And she said that she's seen him there every night that you work."_

_I opened my mouth in shock. What the hell? Why was Mrs. Fischer spying on me?_

_My mother glared over at me. "Carlos comes to see you at work every night?"_

_I let out a deep breath and looked down. _Crap!

"_Stephanie!" she huffed. "I asked you a question!"_

_I nodded. "He comes and helps me close every night. He mops all of the floors and takes out the trash for me. Then he drives me to the bank."_

_My dad looked at me questioningly. "Why does he drive you to the bank?"_

_I explained Carlos's reasoning, and my parents both looked surprised. My dad recovered first. "I knew I liked that boy!"_

_My mom had a strange look on her face. It almost looked like she was reconsidering her feelings about Carlos, but I hated to hope for that. She nodded. "That's very nice of him." She said softly._

_I blushed. "He's a nice guy, mom. If you'd try to get to know him, you'd see that for yourself."_

_She gave me a small nod. "Maybe you're right."_

_My dad cleared his throat. "Were you and Carlos planning on going out after the game Friday?"_

_I nodded slowly, unsure where this conversation was going._

_My dad continued. "Maybe Carlos could stay for a little bit when he drops you off. It would give us all a chance to visit."_

_I just looked up in surprise. "I thought he wasn't allowed over until Saturday."_

_My dad looked over at my mother, and she nodded. "He can bring you home Friday."_

"_What time?" My Grandma chimed in. "I wanna meet this hottie, too, ya know!"_

_I blushed. "Let me see what Carlos has planned, and I'll let you know, Grandma."_

_She grinned and wagged her eyebrows up and down at me. "Alright!" Good God! My Grandmother looked like Lester! I had almost burst out in hysterical laughter._

Smiling at the memory of last night, I stepped out of the shower and dried off. I hurried through the rest of my morning routine and flew down the stairs. I wanted to skip breakfast, but I knew that there was no way my mother would let me. Since it was my birthday, I knew there would be a stack of pancakes waiting for me.

Sure enough, I walked into the kitchen to see three fluffy pancakes at my place. When I sat down, my mother stuck a candle in them and ordered me to make a wish. I grinned and blew out the candle.

"What did you wish for?" my mom asked, teasing.

I grinned, shaking my head. "I can't tell you, mom, you know that! Otherwise it won't come true!" And, oh boy, did I want this wish to come true! In a bad way! I blushed and shoved a huge bite of pancake into my mouth before I could accidentally say something incriminating.

"So what are your plans for today?" my mom asked as she bustled around the room.

I shrugged. "Just work and school." I said around a mouthful of pancake.

My mom nodded and turned back towards the sink. "Your father and I talked, and if you would like Carlos to bring you home after work tonight, we are fine with that."

I snapped my head up and looked at the back of my mother's head. "He's allowed over tonight?"

My mom just nodded. "Yes."

My dad looked up from his paper and winked at me before he took a big drink of coffee.

I smiled at him and mouthed 'thank you.'

He just disappeared back behind the sports section and continued eating his own stack of pancakes.

**C&S C&S C&S C&S C&S**

When I pulled into the school parking lot, I was immediately mobbed by Carlos and our friends.

They started singing "Happy Birthday" and somebody stuck a Burger King crown on my head, proclaiming me Queen for the Day. I laughed and pulled it off, sticking it on Lester's head.

He grinned. "So what time am I picking you up, Beautiful?" he asked.

I just raised my eyebrows and looked at him.

"We have a date!" he insisted.

"We do?" I asked, confused.

He laughed. "Yep. Remember? I promised to take you to get a tattoo on your birthday."

I burst out laughing, remembering the night we'd first met in the parking lot. "Sorry, Les! I have to work tonight. Maybe another time!"

He grinned wickedly. "Those kinds of places stay open late, Steph. You could always sneak out later tonight, and I would take you!"

I smacked his arm and stuck my tongue out at him. I wished that I could be mad at Carlos for everyone finding out about our little adventure Sunday night, but unfortunately, it was me and my big mouth that was at fault! I had been telling Mary Lou and Connie about being grounded and sneaking out the window to go and get ice cream with Carlos, and I hadn't been paying any attention to who else was around us. Lester had been standing off to the side of our little group, and he heard the entire conversation. Which, of course, meant that all the rest of the guys now knew the entire story. Gah! I really needed to be more aware of my surroundings!

Lester grinned back. "You could get Carlos's name tattooed somewhere on your body!" he continued.

I blushed, and Carlos wrapped his arms around me, pulling my chest against his. He leaned down to nibble on my ear. "I actually kind of like that idea, Babe." He whispered huskily. "It's a good way to let everyone know you're mine!"

I looked up at him through lowered lashes. "You get my name tattooed somewhere on your body first, and then we'll talk." I teased back.

"Name the body part." He growled in my ear.

I blushed and tried to pull away, but he just chuckled and held me close.

**C&S C&S C&S C&S C&S**

When I got to work at 3:30, I called out hello to Tracy, the owner, and headed into the back to get my apron. Usually Tracy was packed up and ready to leave as soon as I walked in the door. Her kids were in elementary school, and she wanted to be sure to get home in time to get them off of the bus.

Today, however, Tracy just waved at me without lifting her head. She had papers spread out on one of the larger tables, and she was muttering to herself, punching numbers on the calculator.

I tied my apron and poured a lemonade. I walked over and sat it in front of Tracy. "Everything OK?" I questioned.

She blew out a frustrated sigh and nodded. "Yeah, just a little behind on some of my usual jobs this week. The kids have been sick, so I haven't had time to work on payroll and scheduling at home. Plus I still need to inventory the stock room so that I can put together an order for some of the vendors. Joanne has been sick and called off all week, so I haven't had time to do that." She picked up the lemonade, nodding her thanks.

My forehead creased. "Anything I can do to help?"

She looked at me thoughtfully. "Actually, there is."

I looked at her expectantly. "Name it."

Tracy grinned. "Well, if you wouldn't mind taking inventory of the stock room, I'd really appreciate it! I can watch the front of the store while I do the payroll and schedule. It's usually pretty quiet until around 5:00, so I should be able to get everything done."

"Sure. Just tell me what I need to do!"

Tracy handed me several blank inventory sheets. "The items that I need checked are along the side over here. You just need to count the quantity on hand and write it over here. Don't count any open containers. Just count sealed ones."

I nodded my understanding and took the sheets.

Tracy gave me a one armed hug. "Thanks so much, Steph! I really appreciate it!"

I smiled back. "No problem!" I had done inventory for Tracy and her husband before, just not very often. I knew it was tedious and that it was one of the first things to get pushed aside. It was impossible to do if you were the only one in the store. The stockroom was way in the back, and there was no way you could hear customers come in when you were back there.

Usually Tracy would do inventory during the slower part of the morning, but if Joanne had called off all week, that meant that Tracy had to be up front for the full shift. I pulled Tracy's clipboard off of the wall and climbed up onto the small stepladder, ready to start counting.

At 6:00 I sighed and climbed down off of the stepladder. I had finally counted the last type of filling. I put away the stepladder and clipboard, then headed out to give Tracy the inventory sheet and see if there was anything else she needed.

I pushed through the swinging door and gasped. The front of the store was filled! I looked around. Tracy, Carlos, Mr. and Mrs. Manoso, the guys, Mary Lou, and Connie were all grinning at me. They were holding balloons, flowers, gift bags, and wrapped boxes. "Surprise!" they yelled.

Carlos walked over to me. "Happy Birthday, Babe!" He handed me a bouquet of flowers wrapped in bright blue tissue paper.

I looked down and gasped. "Calla lilies! How did you know that these were my favorite?"

He held my hands and grinned. "I may have cheated a little." He admitted, glancing over at a smiling Mary Lou and Connie.

"This is so sweet!" I buried my face in the flowers and inhaled deeply.

When I looked up and saw Tracy smiling at me, I blushed. "Thank you everyone, but I'm supposed to be working right now."

Tracy waved her hand at me dismissively. "That's why I'm still here, Stephanie! Your friends called earlier this week to order your birthday cake. Then they asked if it would be OK if they came in and ate it here with you since you would be working. When I found out that today was your 18th birthday, I insisted that they come in and have their party here. It kind of grew from cake and lemonade to a full dinner and dessert."

I just shook my head. "But…" I started.

Tracy just laughed and steered me over to a table. "You're my most reliable employee, Steph! Consider this my thank you and my birthday gift to you. You're on break until 8:00. Then I need to get home and give my little monkeys a bath." She winked at me.

Carlos and the guys pushed all of the tables together, and Tracy brought out huge trays of sandwiches. To go with it, she put out soup, pasta salad, potato salad, pickles, olives, chips, and veggies and dip. Everyone loaded up their plates and sat around visiting.

True to her word, Tracy popped up to wait on every customer who walked through the door.

Once everyone had had their fill of dinner, Tracy brought out the cake. It was a huge layer cake with "Happy Birthday Stephanie" written in blue script. The top was decorated with dozens of roses in almost every color of the rainbow.

"Oooh!" I breathed. I looked up at Tracy. "Did you make this?"

She nodded, a huge smile on her face. "What do you think? I got a little carried away with the roses, huh?"

I shook my head. "No! I love it! It looks beautiful!"

I laughed as Mrs. Manoso placed 18 candles on the top of the cake. "18?" I asked.

She nodded. "Of course! Why?"

I shrugged. "I usually just get one to blow out."

She waved her hand. "Pffft! One candle? That's no fun! You are 18! You get 18 candles!"

"And I get to give you your 18 birthday spanks." Carlos whispered in my ear as his mother lit the candles.

"You are so bad!" I whispered back, and he grinned wickedly.

Once she had the candles lit, Mrs. Manoso carefully carried the cake over to my table and sat it down in front of me. Everyone sang "Happy Birthday," and then I blew out my candles to chants of, "Make a wish! Make a wish!"

"What did you wish for?" Lester asked, wagging his eyebrows up and down.

Geez! What was with people today? Didn't they know the wish making rules? I glared at Lester. "You know I can't tell you that!"

I made the mistake of looking over at Carlos immediately after that, and Lester started whooping, loudly suggesting the kinds of things that I probably 'wanted.' One look from Mrs. Manoso, and he shut up pretty quickly!

Tracy started cutting the cake and passing it around. "This is a new kind of cake, so you'll all have to tell me what you think."

"What kind is it?" I asked, accepting the first piece. Hey! Being the birthday girl has its benefits!

"The cake is French vanilla, and the filling is the new strawberry filling we just got in."

I took a big bite and moaned in pleasure. "Oh my God, Tracy! This is awesome!"

She grinned. "Really? I'm so glad you like it! Now I can't wait to try it myself!"

I polished off my piece of cake and eyed the half of a piece that was still on Carlos's plate. He grinned at me. "See something you want, Babe?"

I lowered my voice and whispered in his ear. "Yes, but I'll settle for your cake."

He groaned and forked a bite, holding it up to my lips. I finished the rest of his piece only feeling slightly guilty.

Mary Lou jumped up and handed me a gift bag. "Time for presents!" she announced.

I grinned and opened her gift bag, finding the new CD I wanted. "Thanks, Mare!" I gushed, flipping it over to look at the back.

She grinned, and another present was passed forward. I opened what seemed like an endless supply of CDs, shower gel, and chocolates. I was so touched at the generosity and thoughtfulness of my friends.

Carlos saved his gift for last. He passed me a small square box, and I opened it to find a silver heart locket. He popped it open, and I gasped at the pictures. On one side was a picture of Carlos, grinning and looking as handsome as ever. On the other side was a picture of me, smiling, with my hair flying around my head. The sweetest thing about it was that our faces were angled towards each other. It made us look as if we were grinning at one another. I loved it!

I traced over our faces again and again. "Where did you get this picture?" I asked softly.

Carlos wrapped his arms around me. "Mary Lou." He took the locket and closed it, carefully draping it over my neck.

My hand automatically went up to hold it as he closed the clasp. I looked over at Mary Lou. "Is the picture from Point Pleasant last summer?"

She nodded and smiled. "It was hard to find one of you that was small enough for the locket. I sorted through hundreds of pictures, but then I came across that one. I just love that picture of you! You have such a big happy smile on your face!"

I threw my arms around her. "It's perfect! Thank you!"

**C&S C&S C&S C&S C&S**

At 8:00, everyone cleared out, and I thanked them all again for the wonderful party. Especially Tracy. I couldn't believe that she had stayed over just so that I could celebrate my birthday with my friends.

Carlos helped me close, and then he followed me back to my house. Having just gotten his ban lifted from the Plum household, he was reluctant to give me a proper kiss good night. Instead, he lightly fingered my locket and gave me a soft kiss on the lips.

"So did you get everything you wanted for your birthday, Babe?" he asked against my ear.

I nodded. "I think this has been my best birthday ever."

He grinned. "So what did you wish for when you blew out your candles?"

I rocked my hips against his and fisted my hands in his hair. "I'll let you know after you make it come true." My voice was so husky I almost didn't recognize it.

He thrust himself against me, wrapping his arms around my waist and groaning into my mouth. "God, Babe!" he choked. "You're killing me here!"

I grinned wickedly at him. "So you don't want to make my wish come true?"

He pressed me tighter to him. "Always, Stephanie. I'll always give you whatever you wish for."

_**TBC**_


	17. Chapter 17

_A/N: Thanks for all of the birthday wishes! LOL! Steph and I are so glad that you enjoyed celebrating "our birthday!" ;)_

**Chapter 17**

**Friday, October 13, 1995**

The last few periods of the day today were going to be used for a Homecoming pep rally, complete with the band playing, the majorettes twirling, and the cheerleaders cheering. The football coach was going to introduce the team and talk about each player, and then Mr. Marco would introduce the Homecoming court and talk about each attendant. Ballots would be passed out and everyone would get a chance to vote for this year's Homecoming Queen. The winner would be announced during the pregame ceremonies at tonight's game.

As a result of the pep rally, many teachers were having study halls or "group work time." They were trying to avoid getting way ahead in their early classes and having the last classes of the day fall behind. This worked out great for me. Connie, Lula, Mary Lou, or one of the guys were in most of my classes, and we spent the majority of the day making plans for after the game or talking about the dance.

The only class where I was by myself, without any of my friends, was my English class. And of course this was one of the few classes that I had with Joyce Barnhardt.

Joyce had been a pain in my ass since Kindergarten. In elementary school, she was a chubby girl who was angry with the world and mostly took it out on girls who she felt got more attention than she did. In first grade, she had wrapped her arms around my legs and pulled me off of the monkey bars. I had landed on her, and she told the recess teacher that I had jumped on her. I had to stand against the building for the rest of recess that day. In second grade, she dumped her milk in my lap during lunch and told everyone that I had wet my pants. She would constantly spit in my food at lunch, steal my pencils, and kick open the stall door while I was going to the bathroom.

In junior high, she grew breasts and a bigger and bitchier attitude. In sixth grade, she wrote dozens of nasty notes, signed my name, and stuck them in people's lockers. It took me weeks to convince everyone that the letters hadn't come from me. In seventh grade, she strategically dumped red paint on my gym shorts knowing that I either had to wear them like that or take a detention for not coming to class prepared. Needless to say, I took the detention. In eighth grade, she started a rumor that I was a lesbian, and every few days she left lipstick kiss prints all over the outside of my locker to prove that I had a girlfriend.

By the time we hit high school, Joyce had slimmed down and was now a large breasted, red headed sex fiend. But she was still a bitch. During our sophomore year, she snuck into the guys' locker room and wrote my name and phone number all over the walls with descriptions of all of the things I would be willing to do with my dates. Luckily, Eddie and Carl had seen it and scribbled it out before too many other people saw it. That still didn't stop Joyce from circulating all kinds of stories about me. They ranged from stories of me being easy to rumors that I was pregnant. Luckily, no one rumor can hold anyone's attention for long in the Burg, and most people didn't remember any of what she had said about me. And, to be fair, I certainly wasn't Joyce's _only_ target. Half of the female population of Trenton High narrowed their eyes when she sashayed down the hall. She was a menace.

As soon as I walked through the door of the classroom, she turned my way, and by the time I walked over to my desk, she had caught up with me. She perched on the desk next to mine, and gave me a big grin.

"Stephanie, I've been meaning to talk to you." She began in a sickeningly sweet voice.

I flipped through my notebook, refusing to give her the satisfaction of paying attention to her. "Oh?" I asked in a bored voice.

"Yes. I just wanted to apologize for stealing Joe away from you."

My head popped up, and I let out a surprised laugh. "What are you talking about, Joyce?"

She smirked and continued. "Well, I know that you're a virgin. You know, since no man has been willing to sleep with you yet. And I know how you had your heart set on him popping your cherry."

My eyes widened. "What?" I managed in a strangled voice.

She continued. "Well, Joey told me that he stopped at the Tasty Pastry last Sunday. He said it was shameful how you threw yourself at him and practically drug him down on the floor. He said that he was horrified, and all he could think of was me and how I'd react, so he left and came to see me, even though you begged him not to." She patted my arm. "Sorry about that." She smirked.

I started laughing hysterically at her. Wiping my eyes, I watched her smirk falter for just a second.

"What's so funny?" she snapped.

"Your story!" I gasped.

She narrowed her eyes at me and crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't see what's so funny about it!" she huffed.

"Because it's all made up!" I rolled my eyes. "Like I would beg Morelli to have sex with me on the floor of the Tasty Pastry! Puh-lease! He came in and tried to get something started, but I wasn't interested. He wouldn't take no for an answer and pinned me up against the wall behind the counter. My boyfriend came out of the kitchen and drug him off of me, punched him, and threw him into the dumpster out back. When he crawled out of the trash, he must have run to you." I smirked at her. "I guess it doesn't surprise me that he was laying in a dumpster, surrounded by trash, and thinking of you."

"Bitch!" she growled.

"Whore!" I hissed back.

She flipped her dyed red curls over one shoulder and narrowed her eyes at me. "Well, you just make sure to keep your eyes and your hands off of him in the future."

I grinned back innocently. "But he asked me to save him a dance at Homecoming."

Joyce looked like she wanted to grab my hair and start an all-out cat fight, but just then our teacher, Mrs. Martin, walked in. Joyce glared at me and stalked back to her seat. Good riddance!

**C&S C&S C&S C&S C&S**

I was so excited for the Homecoming game that I thought I might burst!

At pregame the majorettes did a ribbon routine to "Total Eclipse of the Heart," and Terri Grizzoli was crowned Homecoming Queen. Surprise, surprise. Like I had told our group at detention, the winner needed to be someone blonder and bustier than me, and Terri was definitely both of those.

The first quarter flew by, with half-time drawing nearer and nearer. I kept looking around for my mom. She was supposed to come down to the edge of the field and hold my fire baton containers for me. When the fire routine was over, I needed to shove my batons in the case, grab my regular baton, and head back out on the field to finish the half-time show.

Carlos sat in the stands, watching me look around. About halfway through the second quarter, he finally came down onto the edge of the track and waved me over. I pretended to get a drink so that I could talk to him.

"What's wrong, Steph?" he asked, concerned. "Who are you looking for?"

"My mom." I said, dejected.

He tilted his head to the side. "Were you expecting your parents to come tonight?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I wanted them to see the fire routine, but also because my mom is supposed to be my helper."

He raised an eyebrow. "Your helper?"

I sighed. "Yeah. She's supposed to soak and light the batons for me while I march across the field to the first song. Then she's supposed to hold the cases for my fire batons. When the song is over, I need to have someone who can help me get them into the containers quickly. Then she's supposed to close and cap the containers and make sure that the batons are extinguished so that I can get back out on the field to finish the half-time show."

Carlos looked at me seriously. "I'll help you if you want."

I just raised my eyebrows at him and looked at him like he had two heads. "What?"

He grinned. "I like fire. It doesn't scare me. Plus I've come to all of your practices. I've watched how you guys light them and put them out. I can do it."

I gave him a huge grin and a peck on the cheek. "Thank you!" I squealed. "Let me tell my advisor that you're going to help. Then you can just follow her around the track to your spot on the field."

Mrs. George nodded when I told her that Carlos would be my helper. I assured her that he knew what to do, and I ran to line up with the other girls. I chewed my lip while we waited to march out onto the field. Where on Earth were my parents?

As always, the fire baton routine was a big hit. As soon as the lights went out, the crowd starting cheering and screaming. At the end of the song, I ran over to Carlos. He was holding out the canisters at the perfect angle, standing nice and still. He let me toss one end of the batons in, and then I grabbed my regular baton and ran back out to my spot. I watched as he shook the containers, trying to get the batons all the way into the canister. When they were finally in, he put the lids on and handed them over to my advisor. He sat on the sidelines, watching me do our fight song routine as we marched off of the field and back to the bleachers.

The band had the third quarter as our 'break,' so I headed over to Carlos. "You were awesome, Babe!" he congratulated me, giving me a big hug.

I smiled. "Thanks! And thanks for being my helper!"

He slid an arm around my waist. "Anytime, Babe! Anytime."

We headed over towards the concession stand, and I spotted Carlos's parents sitting in the home team bleachers. "They came just to see you." Carlos whispered.

I turned towards Carlos, surprised. "Really?" I squeaked.

"Really." He confirmed.

I raised my hand and smiled, waving at them. Mrs. Manoso waved back, a big grin on her face, and gave me a thumbs-up. It was so sweet, and I couldn't help but wish that my mom was more like her. Immediately, the Catholic guilt kicked in, and I muttered an apology to my mother under my breath.

**C&S C&S C&S C&S C&S**

Earlier in the week, Lula had taken me up on my offer of sitting with us at lunch, and not surprisingly, she and Tank had hit it off. They had gone out a few times this week, and he had picked her up for the game tonight. They weren't sure whether or not they were going to the dance Saturday. Mostly because Lula wasn't sure if she could find something appropriate to wear. Tank had bought tickets just in case and assured her that he was fine with whatever decision she made. Either way, they were planning on spending the evening together.

Once the game had ended, our group followed Tank and Lula back to Tank's van. He had agreed to be the designated chauffeur for group outings from now on as long as everyone chipped in for gas money. The main motivating factor was that Bobby had two flat tires after cramming the six of us in his car a few weeks ago. He tried to play it off, saying that the tires were old and needed replaced anyway, but I wasn't buying it. The two back tires were the ones that needed replaced. Tank, Cal, Lester. Cough, cough. That's all I'm saying!

Carlos and I headed for his car, which was on the other side of the parking lot.

"We'll meet you there!" Carlos yelled, waving at the large group in Tank's van.

Lester smirked. "We'll be timing you!"

I narrowed my eyes at him and gave him a less than ladylike Italian hand gesture which only made him throw his head back and laugh as Tank pulled out of the parking lot.

We both climbed into Carlos's car, and I slid across the bench seat and snuggled up next to him. He put his arm around my shoulders and pulled out of the parking lot wincing. "These sequins are a little scratchy, Babe!"

I smirked at him. "Really? I never noticed that before, Batman! Thanks for pointing it out!"

He grinned at me. "So do you want me to pull over and find a secluded place for you to change, or do you want to wait 'til we get to Burger King and change in the bathroom?"

I shrugged. "Whichever."

Carlos drove towards Burger King, but pulled into the parking lot of an office supply store that was already closed for the night. He kept going and circled around to the back of the building, parking near their loading dock and turning the car off.

He unbuckled his seat belt and turned to pull me onto his lap, leaning up and kissing me hungrily, nipping at my lips. His hands reached up to my neck and slowly lowered the zipper on my sequined outfit.

My breathing hitched, and I looked at him with wide eyes as he drug it down from my neck to my waist. His hands reached underneath the outfit and slowly slid it off of my shoulders. Wordlessly, I pulled my arms out of the top, and my uniform fell down to my waist, exposing the black leotard that I had on underneath.

Carlos groaned and fisted his hands in my hair, pulling me in for another deep kiss. I pulled back panting, and he gently placed both of his palms on my stomach. His eyes locked with mine, and he slowly moved his hands up my torso until he was holding one breast in each hand. He slowly massaged them with his palms and fingers. His thumbs teased the nipples through my bra and leotard, and when he tugged gently on them, I arched back, thrusting my chest against his hands.

"Easy, Babe." He whispered against my neck.

I fisted my hands in his shirt and pulled it out of the waistband of his jeans. Sliding my hands underneath, I traced over his perfect chest and abs with my fingertips.

He growled and lifted me off of his lap, trying in vain to yank my uniform the rest of the way off. I slid back onto the seat next to him. Lifting my hips, I drug the sequins down over my legs, leaving me in just my leotard, tights, and boots.

He reached for me, but I smiled ruefully and pulled out my warmup suit. "Everybody's waiting for us." I whispered.

He gave a frustrated sigh and leaned over to nibble on my ear. "Let's go through the drive-through and take it somewhere to eat. By ourselves."

I laughed and swatted his arm playfully. "They're waiting for us! Can you imagine the ribbing we're already going to get for taking so long to get there?"

Carlos ran his hands up and down my arms. "That's what I'm saying." He said huskily. "They're horrible friends. Who wants to spend time with them? Let's get our food and ditch them. Go somewhere private."

I reached up and kissed him. "Tomorrow." I promised. "Tomorrow after the dance, I'm all yours." I leaned back and looked in his face. "Unless you planned on us doing something with the guys."

He smirked. "Not gonna work, Babe. You get no clues until tomorrow night."

I stuck my tongue out at him and pulled my pants on. Carlos winked and started the car again as I pulled on my jacket and zipped it up.

**C&S C&S C&S C&S C&S**

As predicted, the guys (led by Lester) tortured us for getting there 20 minutes after they did. I squeezed Carlos's hand and gave Lester a wide eyed, innocent look. "There was construction."

He snorted. "Oh yeah? In October? At 9:00 at night on a Friday?"

I grinned. "Yep. Lots and lots of construction."

Seeing that he wasn't going to be able to embarrass me, at least not tonight, Lester gave up and started joking around with the other guys.

Lula, Connie, and I were laughing at Cal's impression of Mr. George, the band director, when Lester came back from the bathroom. He leaned across the table. "Beautiful, go empty your majorette duffel bag onto the backseat of Carlos's car and bring the bag in."

My eyebrows drew together. "Whhhhhyyyyyy?" I asked suspiciously.

Lester gave me an innocent look. "No reason."

Carlos raised an eyebrow at him. "What are you planning?"

I glared at him. "I am _not_ going to get my bag until you tell me why you need it."

Lester grimaced and leaned across the table, whispering. "It's kind of embarrassing. Can't you just go get it, and I'll tell you why after?"

I looked at Carlos, and he shrugged. "I have no idea what he's up to, Babe."

I blew out a sigh, standing up, and taking Carlos's keys. "Fine. But I swear to God, Lester, if you put something disgusting in my bag, I'll kill you!"

He smiled angelically. "I would never do a thing like that!"

I walked out and opened the backdoor of Carlos's car. I unzipped my majorette bag and emptied it as neatly as I could onto his backseat. I checked all of the pockets, making sure I took everything out. I had no idea why Lester wanted my bag, and I wanted to be sure that I had all of my stuff in case he didn't give it back right away.

I walked back in with the empty bag, and Lester grabbed it and ran for the bathroom.

Bobby started howling. "Oh my God, Steph! You better hope he's not planning on sticking his boxers in your bag!"

I raised my eyebrows at Bobby and shrieked, "What?"

Tank started snorting. "Yeah, he did have a half dozen chili dogs at the game. He probably has the runs."

I stuck my hands on my hips and glared at Carlos. "If your cousin sticks a pair of dirty underwear in my bag, I swear to God I am going to kill him!"

The guys were laughing so hard they were crying. Carlos lifted his head off of his arms, tears streaming down his face. "I'll buy you a new bag, Babe!" he choked out.

Lester came running out of the bathroom and flew past our table. "Let's go! Now!" He hissed, running out into the parking lot. He climbed into Tank's van and began waving frantically for us to follow him.

We all looked at each other, wide eyed. Cal shrugged and picked up his tray. Dumping it, he headed out to Tank's van. The rest of us quickly followed suit.

We all climbed in, and Lester began grinning like a maniac. "Wait 'til you see what I got!" he bragged, holding up the bag.

I glared at him. "It had better not be a pair of stained boxers!"

He laughed. "Even better!"

Lester unzipped the bag and pulled out about 25 regular rolls of toilet paper and 2 restaurant-sized, gigantic rolls of toilet paper.

Bobby let out a low whistle and began rubbing his hands together mischievously. "Oh yeah!"

I gasped. "Where did you get all that?"

Lester grinned. "The supply closet was open in the men's room."

Cal looked over at me. "How many batons do you have in Carlos's car, Steph?"

I raised my eyebrows at him. "Four, why?" I questioned.

Cal grinned. "A giant roll needs a giant holder!"

I laughed and shook my head, climbing out to get my batons.

When I climbed back in, the guys were plotting where to go with the toilet paper. Lester had a piece of paper and a pen and was making an official hit list.

"Any requests for targets, Beautiful?" Lester teased.

I smirked. "Joyce Barnhardt and Dickie Orr!"

The guys laughed and nodded, and Lester added their names and addresses to the list.

It didn't surprise me at all that these guys wanted to go into the Army! They approached a simple night of toilet papering as if it were the invasion of Normandy. Bobby pulled out a map of Trenton, and Tank highlighted the approximate locations of our victims. Cal and Carlos worked out the most efficient route between targets, and Lester came up with diversionary tactics.

It was decided that I would be the getaway driver, with Connie as my navigator, for the first part of the night. That way the guys could all participate in TPing the houses they had picked. That was fine by me. As long as I got to decorate Joyce and Dickie's houses, I was good to go!

We pulled up to a stop sign a few streets over from Carlos's house, and the guys crouched down and piled out, complete with Lester giving hand signals. The only things missing were Kevlar vests, night vision goggles, and 2 way radios. The smartass in me couldn't help barking, "Go, go, go!" as they piled out. This earned me a few glares from the guys. Guess they were taking their mission objective pretty seriously!

**C&S C&S C&S C&S C&S**

The guys had successfully "destroyed" their third target and piled into the van. I heard the doors close, and I took off, following Connie's directions to the next enemy stronghold.

In the back of the van, I heard Carlos start laughing hysterically and exclaim, "Babe!" The other guys joined in the snickering with Bobby calling out, "Damn, Steph!"

I flicked my eyes up to the rearview mirror. "What?" I asked snarkily. That was when I caught sight of someone running after the van. Lester. Whoops! He was yelling and running after us, a roll of toilet paper in each hand. Huge streamers of toilet paper were flowing out behind him as he waved his arms back and forth.

I snickered and pulled over to the side of the road, letting him catch up. He jumped in the van, and I took off.

"Damn, Beautiful! That was cold!" he complained.

"That was an accident, Lester! I heard all the doors close, so I took off. And by the way, you suck at extractions. You're gonna fail that part of military training!"

He glared at me. "What do you mean?"

I smirked. "Well, first you missed your extraction because you were playing around. Then, deep in enemy territory, you ran screaming like a little girl, holding your weapons up in your hands, begging for us to come back and get you. You're lucky you weren't taken out by the enemy!"

The other guys howled with laughter and slapped Lester on the back, choking out things like, "She's right man! You'd be a dead man!"

Lester just glared at me for a minute before a wicked smile spread across his face. "Oh, it's on, Beautiful!"

I groaned. "No! You're already moving my car every day! I don't need more Lester drama to deal with!"

He just grinned and rubbed his hands together.

When we finished the guys' stops, Tank hopped up front to drive. I pinned him with a glare. "If Lester orders you to leave me and you do, I'll hunt you down!"

Tank just barked out a laugh. "There's no way that Lester will ever be giving me orders, Steph! I'll always outrank him!" he assured me.

I gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Good to know!"

**C&S C&S C&S C&S C&S**

When we got to Dickie's house, we crept across the front yard and aimed at the house and trees. On Lester's signal, we all wound up and tossed. I have to say, that our group could probably get hired out as professional toilet paperers! Well, except for Lula. Everyone else had aimed theirs just right so that the paper unrolled as it sailed through the air. Lula was aiming for the roof, but instead managed to wing her roll into the large picture window in the Orr's living room. Luckily it didn't break, but it _did_ set off the house alarm.

We all started cursing and took off running for the van. Lester grabbed me around the waist and tossed me into the van before climbing up behind me. As Tank sped down the road, Les grinned at me. "See, Beautiful? No hard feelings!"

I smiled back at him warily. "Uh-huh."

He just snickered.

We pulled up to Joyce's house and Cal looked at Lula. "Maybe you should be in charge of the tree this time." He suggested.

I smothered a laugh as Lula glared at him. "What're you sayin'? You don't think I can do the house? Huh? Huh? Is it because I'm black? Or just cuz I'm a woman?"

Cal rolled his eyes at her. "It's cause you have a sucky throw, that's why!"

Lula crossed her arms over her huge chest and gave a harrumph. "Well, as long as I'm not being discriminated against."

Lester grabbed my hand, and we ran over to the tree in Joyce's front yard. "Hold this." He whispered, handing me the end of one of the jumbo rolls.

I wrinkled my brow at him. "Why am I holding the end of the roll?"

Lester gave me a wicked grin and started running in circles around the tree. It took me a minute to realize that he was tying me to the tree with toilet paper. In Joyce's front yard. Gah!

"Lester Santos!" I hissed, ripping through the paper, and chasing him around the tree.

I grabbed a handful of the paper and tossed it up in the tree.

Carlos grinned and grabbed Lester, pinning his arms down by his side. I grinned back and started wrapping him like a mummy. Lester opened his mouth to scream, and I stuck a wad of toilet paper in it. Bobby bent over at the waist, his hands on his knees and howled with laughter. Connie made a bow with the end of her roll, and we stuck it on the top of his head, dragging him up the steps to the front door.

Cal laughed as we rang the bell, leaving Lester lying on the porch, wiggling around like a snake.

The house was dark, so we knew no one was home, but Lester was still panicking. Carlos and Bobby finally took pity on him and picked him up- Carlos holding his head and Bobby holding his feet- and threw him in the van, still wrapped up.

Cal started ripping the paper off of him as Tank drove away, and Lester began spitting out clumps of wet toilet paper. As soon as his hands were free, he wiped his fingers on his tongue, trying to get it all off.

"You guys suck!" he complained as we all snickered at him.

I jumped onto Carlos's lap and leaned down to whisper in his ear. "And you wanted to ditch our friends tonight! See all of the fun we would have missed?"

He licked the shell of my ear, blowing across it gently and then leaned down to nibble my ear lobe. "I still think we would have had more fun, Babe." He said huskily.

He grinned as a shiver raced through my body.

Tank dropped us off at Carlos's car, and we headed back to my house. My dad had asked for Carlos to stay so that we could all visit, but that was earlier this week. Before they didn't make it to the Homecoming game. I wondered what had happened that had caused my parents to miss it. Was everything OK? Would they still want Carlos to visit for a little while? I sighed and scooted closer to Carlos, buckling myself in. I guessed there was only one way to find out!

_**TBC**_

_**If my friends from high school ever read this story, they would be able to identify about 90% of it as stuff that actually happened to us. Sorry again, Penny! I really thought you were in the car! LOL! ;)**_

_**So any thoughts on what happened to Steph's parents? Why they missed the game?**_


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Carlos pulled into my driveway and shut the car off. I turned to look at him, biting my lip nervously. "I don't know why my parents didn't make it to the game tonight. Are you sure you want to come in?" I asked hesitantly.

"Of course, Babe." He reassured me.

I blew out a sigh and nodded. He climbed out of the car, reaching back to take my hand.

"OK." I said weakly, climbing out after him.

We pushed open the front door, but no one was in the living room. I looked over at Carlos, and he shrugged back at me. "Hello?" I called, but no one answered.

I could hear muffled voices coming from the back of the house, so I grabbed Carlos's hand and headed towards them. Pushing open the closed kitchen door, I saw my parents sitting at the table. My mother was holding her face in her hands and sobbing. My dad was sitting next to her, rubbing her back and trying to be supportive.

"Mom?" I asked tentatively, and she glanced up. Seeing Carlos and me standing in the doorway, she grabbed a tissue and mopped up her face.

She jumped up from her seat, sniffling. "Carlos, so good to see you again. Can I get you both something to drink? A piece of cake?"

I shook my head no. "We're fine, mom. What's wrong?"

My mother pressed a shaky hand to her neck. "It's Valerie." She rasped.

"Is she OK?" I asked, concerned.

"She just found out that she's pregnant." My mom whispered.

I waited, but that was the entire problem. I shrugged my shoulders. "OK. So what?"

My mother's quivering lips pressed into a thin line. "So she's not married, that's what!"

I bit my lip to prevent the wide grin from spreading across my face. I know it was mean, but sometimes it was nice to see the perfect child take a nosedive down off of her pedestal.

"She and Steve are engaged, mom. So they move up the wedding a little bit, what's the big deal? It won't be the first time someone from the Burg had to have a rush wedding."

My mother sighed. "She doesn't know if there's going to _be_ a wedding."

My forehead creased in confusion. "What do you mean 'she doesn't know if there's going to be a wedding?' "

My mother cleared her throat. "Valerie just found out this morning that she was pregnant. She made a big, special lunch so that she and Steve could celebrate between his morning and evening classes, and she told Steve over dessert."

Her voice broke, and she paused, looking down and taking deep breaths. We all waited silently.

She continued, her voice still scratchy. "Steve wasn't happy about the news. He said that it was too bad that she was pregnant. That he's never wanted kids. He liked other people's, but he never wanted any of his own. He got up and walked out, and Valerie hasn't seen him since." My mother dissolved into fresh tears.

I stood wide eyed looking back and forth between my mother who was crying hysterically and my father who looked like he wanted to get a hold of Steve and personally remove the body part that had started this whole problem.

"So where is he?" I asked, stunned.

My mother shook her head. "She doesn't know. He's been gone for hours now."

"They never talked about having kids?" I wondered out loud. "They're engaged for crying out loud! Isn't this a discussion they should have had already?"

My mom sniffed. "Well, Steve had told Valerie that he didn't want kids, but we both thought he'd change his mind once she got pregnant."

I stared at my mother in shock. "Please tell me that you did not encourage her to get pregnant on purpose."

My mother didn't answer right away, and my father's head whipped over to look at her. "Helen?" he asked.

She twisted her hands and looked down at the floor. "Well, Steve wasn't sure if he still wanted to get married or not. He had met a girl in one of his classes. They had been partnered together for several projects, and he thought there was something there between the two of them. He thought that maybe he and Val should break off the engagement."

I drew in a surprised breath. "And you thought that if she got pregnant, he'd stay?"

She nodded silently.

"Mother that's terrible!" I gasped.

She looked up defiantly. "Well, it still may work. We don't know. He could have left to break things off with this other girl."

"Yeah, and then Valerie will be stuck in a loveless marriage with a guy who doesn't want to be there and who resents her and the baby." I said snarkily.

My dad growled. "Or he'll leave her and she'll be a single parent with no job and no support. She'll probably end up moving back in here."

My mother covered her face and began to wail again.

"Is this why you missed the game tonight?" I asked in a hollow voice. "Because of Valerie?"

My mother's head snapped up, and she looked up at me blankly. "The game?" I watched as recognition dawned on her face, and she looked horrified. "The game! The Homecoming game! Oh no! Stephanie, I'm so sorry! It completely slipped my mind when Valerie called."

I nodded stiffly. I was used to coming in second in the favorite child race, but that didn't make it hurt any less.

She reached out and grabbed my hands. "Did you find someone to help you with your fire batons? Or did Mrs. George help you?"

I looked back at Carlos and smiled. "Actually, Carlos helped me."

My mother looked up at Carlos and blinked in surprise. He had been standing there so quietly through the whole discussion that I think she had forgotten he was there.

My mother nodded at him. "Thank you."

He nodded back. "No problem. I was happy to help."

She tilted her head and looked at Carlos as if she were considering something. Finally she smiled at him. "Carlos, you're a man. What do you think of this whole situation with Valerie?"

He looked at me wide eyed, like a deer caught in the headlights. Clearly, he did not want to be drug into this family discussion, and I didn't blame him. "Mom…" I started.

She waved her hand at me, urging me to be quiet. "You keep telling me what a horrible thing I've done. I want to hear a guy's perspective on this whole situation."

She turned back towards Carlos. "So, Carlos, if Stephanie told you that she was pregnant, what would you do? Would you do the right thing and marry her? Or would you abandon her and your child to chase after some bimbo that you met in a class at school?"

"Mother!" I gasped, blushing furiously. I was ready to continue, but Carlos put his hands on my shoulders and gently squeezed.

"Well, Mrs. Plum," he began. "First of all, if Stephanie were pregnant, I'd like to think that it was because we had both decided it was something we wanted. But even if it were unplanned, I would hope that it wouldn't be because she was trying to trick me into marrying her."

My mother raised an eyebrow at him. "So you wouldn't marry her?"

Carlos answered calmly. "I didn't say that. But I don't think that any man would appreciate being tricked into something he didn't want. And it sounds like this is something Valerie's fiancé didn't want. He told her that he didn't want kids. He told her that he wanted to break off the engagement. I don't see how either of you thought that any good could come from her being pregnant."

My mother glared at him and stuck her hands on her hips. "Children are a gift from God!" she spat out.

Carlos nodded. "Yes, they are."

"Then how can you say that no good can come from her being pregnant?"

"I meant no good for Valerie or her fiancé. Unless he has a change of heart, I don't think that any of this is going to work out the way that you and Valerie wanted it to."

My father stood up and walked over to stand beside Carlos. He clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Well said, son." He looked over at my mom. "Helen, that's exactly what I told you earlier when Valerie called. You need to quit meddling in the lives of our children. If Valerie and Steve aren't meant to be together, let them break off the engagement. Let them both find someone else that makes them happy instead of forcing them to struggle through each day being miserable."

My mother took in a shaky breath. "You think I'm making Valerie miserable?"

My father nodded. "I think that's exactly what you've done. You've gotten her in a no-win situation. Either Steve stays and they're both unhappy, or he leaves and she's left to raise a child on her own."

My mother started sobbing even harder and pushed past us all, running out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

My father let out a sigh and headed towards the stairs, following her up to their bedroom. I winced as she slammed the door and looked over at Carlos.

"Sorry!" I whispered.

He just shook his head and wrapped his arms around me, pulling my chest against his. He leaned down to whisper in my ear. "Just for the record, Babe, I would be thrilled if you were pregnant with my baby someday. I would marry you in a heartbeat."

I looked up at him in surprise. "W-w-w-what?" I stammered, turning a bright red.

He grinned and kissed the tip of my nose. "Not right now, but someday, Babe, I'd love to have babies with you. Lots and lots of little ones with wild curly hair and blue eyes."

I grinned back mischievously. "What if they end up with straight hair and dark eyes?"

He growled and pulled me closer. "We'll give them back and keep trying."

I smacked his chest playfully. "You're a nut!"

"And you love me," he teased.

I pulled back and looked at him seriously. "With all of my heart." I said solemnly.

"Me too," he whispered huskily before pressing his lips against mine.

R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S

I woke early the next morning, my body buzzing with nervous energy. Today was the Homecoming dance! I couldn't wait to see Carlos all dressed up in a suit. I shivered at the thought of how handsome he would be. And I couldn't wait to see what kind of surprise he had planned for after the dance.

I took an extra long shower, shaving everything that needed shaved. When I got out of the shower, I towel dried my hair and moisturized myself all over. I tied my robe around my waist and prepared to give myself an at-home spa day. I slathered on the facial mask and then dug through my shoebox of nail polish. I was debating between the sparkly blue, blood red, and hot pink polishes when someone knocked on my bedroom door.

"Come in!" I called out, shaking up the three bottles. I had decided to paint one nail with each color and see which looked best against the dress.

My mother walked in, a determined set to her jaw. She held her chin up defiantly, as if daring me to tell her again that I thought she and Valerie were making a mistake. She was wasting her time. I had decided last night that I was washing my hands of the entire situation. Carlos and I had both given her our opinion of the baby disaster, and she clearly hadn't appreciated it. With any luck at all, my mother and Val would be so busy plotting that they would leave Carlos and me alone.

I looked up and raised my eyebrows at her. "Yes?" I asked.

"Do you have an appointment to get your hair and makeup done today, Stephanie?" she asked stiffly.

How nice of her to think of these things _the day of the dance!_ I nodded. "I made appointments weeks ago when Dickie asked me."

"That's good." She stood in my room staring at me as if she wanted to say something else, but she never did. After a minute or two of silence, she walked back out into the hallway.

I shook my head. I had no idea what she was thinking half the time, and I certainly wasn't about to start guessing now.

I waved my left hand, blowing across the nails to dry them. I studied the nails critically, holding them against the dress. The blue was out. It was cute, but it was the wrong shade of blue, and I was afraid that it looked kind of little kiddish for me to have blue nails at a semi-formal dance. Hmm… that left the red or the pink. I closed one eye and studied them critically. Red. Definitely the red. I pulled out the nail polish remover and wiped off the blue and pink. I painted my fingernails and toenails and then sat back on my bed, listening to the radio while they dried.

**R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S**

A few hours later, I had eaten a light lunch and finished up my home spa routine. Now I needed to get ready for my hair and makeup appointments. I slipped off my robe and pulled on my undies and a comfy pair of jeans. I rooted through my closet until I found a button-up flannel shirt, and I put that on as well. I had learned my lesson when getting ready for my freshman Homecoming. Instead of a button-up shirt, I had worn a tight, stretchy t-shirt. When I got home, my mother had ended up cutting the shoulder seams in the shirt so that I could get it over my head without yanking out my elaborate up-do. After that, I didn't need to be reminded to wear a button-up shirt when going to get my hair done.

I pulled the box with Mrs. Manoso's combs out of my dress bag and grabbed my coat and purse. I galloped down the stairs yelling goodbye to my parents as I ran for the door. I'm pretty sure that my mother was saying something to me, but I opened the front door and kept going.

I met Mary Lou and Connie at Mr. Alexander's salon, and we were as bad as little kids getting ready to go trick-or-treating. We were grinning and practically jumping up and down as we flipped through magazines and waited for our turn to be beautified.

When it was finally my turn, I handed Mr. Alexander the box with the combs and explained that I wanted my hair full and curly with the sides pulled back. He opened the box and gasped.

Meeting my eyes in the mirror, he said, "These are very beautiful!"

I smiled back. "Thank you. My boyfriend's mother is lending them to me for the dance tonight."

He looked back down at the combs and shook his head. "She must really like you, honey. Do you have any idea how much these are worth?"

I bit my lip nervously. "No. And please don't tell me. I don't want to jinx myself tonight! I'm already afraid that I'm going to lose one of them while I'm dancing!"

Mr. Alexander put one hand on his hip and blew out a huffy breath. "Do you doubt my ability to anchor these in your hair?"

I smiled. "Not at all."

He looked slightly mollified. "Well, good. Because I'll make sure that these combs are stuck in there for the entire dance. They won't be coming out until you want them to."

He proceeded to section off my hair and work his magic hair serum through it, taming the wild curls. He used a curling iron to give me big banana curls and then he played around with different sections of hair, trying to decide how much to pull back. Finally happy with his choice, he began pinning it. When the hair was firmly in place, he picked up the combs and slid them in position. He used a few more bobby pins to secure them before finally standing back to admire his work. He studied me from every angle with a critical eye before finally clapping his hands and breaking into a wide grin.

"Beautiful!" he announced, and I had to agree. My hair looked awesome!

One of Mr. Alexander's assistants did my makeup, and I was wowed by my huge, smoky eyes and pouty red lips. I couldn't wait for Carlos to see me tonight!

Mary Lou, Connie, and I oohed and ahhed over each other's hair and makeup, gushing and complimenting each other left and right. When we were finally all done, we passed around gentle hugs and air kisses. We didn't want to smudge our lipstick, after all!

We headed out to the parking lot, and I climbed into my car, checking out my reflection in the rearview mirror. I looked good! I was busy smiling at myself when the radio station announced the time as 4:30. I gasped. 4:30? I needed to get going! Carlos was going to pick me up about 5:15 so that we could do pictures at my house and then his house before going to the dance. And I still had to get dressed!

I threw the car in reverse and sped home, praying to God that no cops were out patrolling tonight. Making it home in record time, I flew into the house and up the stairs to my room. I peeled off my jeans and flannel shirt, grabbing the strapless bra and thong that matched my dress. I slid them on and then stepped into my dress, pulling it carefully up and over my body. Once the dress was zipped, I stepped into my heels and added my jewelry.

I caught my reflection in the mirror and grinned. Everything looked beautiful together! The hair clips, the dress, the jewelry, the shoes. I felt like Cinderella, just waiting for my Prince Charming!

I ran into the bathroom and quickly swiped on some deodorant, just in case. Then I spritzed the air with my favorite perfume and stepped through the mist. 5:00. Carlos would be here any time now! I grabbed my small clutch purse and tossed in a toothbrush, some gum, lipstick, a compact, and some cash. My black velvet wrap was sitting on my desk, and I folded it over my arm before heading downstairs.

My parents and grandparents were waiting for me in the living room when I came down. My grandpa whistled and asked where the gorgeous model had come from, and my dad mumbled something about his baby being all grown up. Grandma gave me a big hug and told me that Carlos wouldn't know what to do with himself once he saw me. I blushed at that comment because I was pretty sure that he would know _exactly_ what to do.

My mother gently touched the combs in my hair. "Stephanie, where did these come from?"

I smiled. "Carlos's mom is letting me borrow them since they matched my dress."

She nodded. "That was very nice of her."

"She's a very nice lady. We should invite Carlos's parents over for dinner some night."

My mother nodded, but she didn't look very happy about the idea.

Just then the front doorbell rang.

"Stephanie! There's a hot looking black boy on the front porch! Should I let him in?" My grandmother yelled from the foyer.

I wanted to bang my head on the coffee table. For the love of God!

"He's Cuban, grandma! Not black! And yes, let him in, please!" I groaned.

Carlos followed my grandma into the living room, and I think my heart stopped when I saw him. He looked gorgeous! He had on a black suit that fit him perfectly, a white shirt, and a sapphire blue tie that matched my dress exactly. His hair was pulled back, and he looked good enough to eat!

When I finally looked at his face, he was grinning at me, and I could tell that he thought I looked pretty hot, too. I walked over and gave him a hug.

"You look gorgeous, Babe!" he whispered.

"You don't look so bad yourself, Batman!" I teased.

My mother came out of the kitchen with my boutonnière for Carlos, and I pinned it on while my grandmother and mother took pictures. Then Carlos opened the box with my wrist corsage and slid it on my arm while they took more pictures.

Before we could leave, they posed us on the porch, in the living room, by the bushes in the front yard, and finally by the old grandfather clock in the dining room.

"Mother, we still have to go to Carlos's house for pictures." I reminded her. "We're going to be late to the dance."

She frowned. "I know, but you only get to go to your Senior Homecoming once, Stephanie, and I want pictures, too!"

"We're getting professional ones taken at the dance, mom." I reminded her.

Finally she agreed and allowed us to escape for the evening. Carlos helped me put the wrap around my shoulders, and then he stuck his elbow out for me to hold onto as we walked out to his car. He helped me into the passenger side and then walked around to climb in on the driver's side. My parents and grandparents stood watching from the front window, and we waved as we pulled away.

As soon as we were out of sight, I unfastened my seat belt and slid over next to Carlos. He grinned at me.

"Lonely all the way over there, Babe?" he teased.

I stuck my tongue out at him. "Nope. The view's just better from this part of the seat."

He put one hand on my knee and slid it up my thigh, just under the hem of my dress. "I completely agree, Babe!" he replied huskily.

I playfully swatted his hand away. "None of that, Mister! We're headed to your parents' house to get pictures! If you leave more hickeys anywhere on my body, your mother will kill you!"

He tipped his head back and laughed hysterically. "You're right about that!" he agreed.

We pulled into his parents' driveway, and Carlos reached in to help me out of the car. I could see a half dozen people in front of the windows, trying to catch a glimpse of the two of us all dressed up.

By the time we made it to the porch, the front door was open, and Mrs. Manoso was standing there beaming.

She held her arms out. "Stephanie! You look so beautiful!" She gave me a big hug.

Fingering the combs in my hair, she whispered, "They look so lovely on you!"

I blushed. "Thank you. And thanks again for letting me borrow them. My hairdresser assured me that he has them anchored so tightly that they aren't going anywhere."

She laughed. "I told you before, Stephanie, I trust you with them."

Carlos's father came over then, with Abuela Rosa right behind him. They had caught the end of our conversation, and Carlos's dad reached up to touch the combs. He turned to his wife.

"These are your combs, Maria?" he asked.

She nodded. "It is such a shame that they never get used, and they matched Stephanie's dress so beautifully."

His father gave me a soft smile. "You are the same age as my lovely bride when she wore them at our wedding."

Mrs. Manoso blushed and patted his arm. "You are still an old flatterer, Ricardo!" She turned to us, "Come, come! Everyone is waiting inside to see the lovely couple!"

We walked inside, and there were tons of people! It turned out that word of Carlos's mystery Homecoming date had spread through the family like wildfire, and everyone wanted to see for themselves if Carlos was really going to a school dance with a girl. There were tons of aunts, uncles, and cousins there to witness this historic event.

Just like at my house, we posed for endless pictures. With Abuela Rosa, by the fireplace, with Carlos's parents, by ourselves, inside, outside, the list went on and on.

Finally Carlos called a halt to the photo shoot. "We have to get going, or we're going to miss the dance!" he told everyone.

Grudgingly, they took their last photos, and then everyone walked out on the front porch to watch us climb into the car and pull away. Once again, Carlos helped me climb into the passenger seat before walking around to his side of the car and climbing in himself.

We waved as we pulled away, and then I slid over into the middle of the front seat. Carlos wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me next to him. "Are you ready to dance, Babe?" he teased.

I put my hand on his leg and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I'm ready for anything you want to do, Carlos Manoso!" I teased.

He gave me a wicked grin and started pulling over to the side of the road.

I shrieked and smacked his arm. "Carlos!" I scolded him.

He laughed and pulled back on the road. "Anything, huh?" he teased.

I crossed my arms and pouted. "Fine. Almost anything!" I conceded.

He touched my lower lip with his finger. "I have big plans for these pouty lips tonight." He said huskily.

I looked at him wide eyed and felt a shiver work its way down my back. The good kind of shiver. The one that's only 10% fear and 90% anticipation!

_**TBC** _


	19. Chapter 19

_A/N: I** so** wanted to put on a sequined dress for inspiration while I was typing this chapter, but my husband already thinks I'm crazy. No need to confirm it, right? LOL! Thanks for all of the reviews and PMs! I appreciate all of the encouragement!_

**Bold section from Chapter 18**

**I put my hand on his leg and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I'm ready for anything you want to do, Carlos Manoso!" I teased.**

**He gave me a wicked grin and started pulling over to the side of the road. **

**I shrieked and smacked his arm. "Carlos!" I scolded him.**

**He laughed and pulled back on the road. "Anything, huh?" he teased.**

**I crossed my arms and pouted. "Fine. Almost anything!" I conceded.**

**He touched my lower lip with his finger. "I have big plans for these pouty lips tonight." He said huskily.**

**I looked at him wide eyed and felt a shiver work its way down my back. The good kind of shiver. The one that's only 10% fear and 90% anticipation!**

_**Chapter 19**_

We made our way to the dance, meeting up with Cal and Connie once we got there. I looked around for Tank and Lula, but I didn't see them. At least not yet. I was hoping that Lula had found something appropriate to wear, but it wasn't looking promising. When I had talked to her after the game yesterday, she still hadn't found anything.

The banquet hall had been divided into two separate areas. One area had tables set up for dinner, and the other half of the room was an open dance floor with a D.J. Ranger, Cal, Connie, and I walked over to the tables and staked our claim on one of them. We flipped up all eight chairs and then looked around for Lester, Bobby, and their dates. Finally seeing them, we waved them over.

I hadn't met Bobby's date, Kyra, before, but she was in a few of my classes. We smiled and introduced ourselves to each other.

I didn't recognize Lester's date at all. She was a very pretty Latina girl with her hair done in an elaborate up-do. Her curvy body looked gorgeous in a skin tight gold sequined dress. I smiled and introduced myself to her, and she smirked at me, looking me up and down several times. Then completely ignoring me, she wrapped her arms around Carlos in a tight hug and spoke to him in rapid Spanish, fluttering her lashes at him.

His jaw had a hard set as he pulled away from her. She gave him a sexy pout and reached out again, rubbing her hand along his arm.

Lester walked up behind me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, looking at her with a confused expression on his face. "Carmen, what are you doing?"

She glared at Lester and responded in heated Spanish, her eyes flicking in my direction. I didn't need a translator to know that she was angry at me. I just had no idea what I had done. As far as I knew, I had never set eyes on the girl before tonight. Sticking one hand on her hip, she used the other to gesture in my direction.

I felt Les's arm tighten around my shoulder, and he interrupted her rant to chide her. "Carmen! That was completely uncalled for!"

She rolled her eyes and made a few more comments. The only word I recognized was _puta_, and I knew enough Spanish to be offended at that point. I gasped, and Carlos pulled me out of Lester's arms and into his. He molded his front against my back and wrapped his arms tightly around me.

Glaring at Carmen, he lectured her in a low threatening voice. I had no idea what he said, but his arms squeezed me tighter the longer he went on, so I was guessing that he was sticking up for me.

Carmen glared at me, wrapped up in Carlos's arms. Then she spun on her heel and flounced away.

I turned in his arms with a questioning look on my face, but he just shook his head. "Later." He mouthed.

I nodded my understanding and reached up to give him a quick peck on the lips. Grinning, he leaned down to deepen the kiss, but I pulled back. He looked at me with a mixture of hurt and confusion. "Babe?" he asked.

I smirked. "You're going to ruin my makeup, Mister! We have pictures to take!"

He smiled then, a relieved look on his face. "Maybe Mama would like you to have that 'just kissed' look on your face for our pictures." He suggested wickedly.

I stuck my hand on my hip. "What freshly kissed look?"

He grinned. "Big, unfocused eyes; pink cheeks, and swollen lips," he whispered, leaning down again.

I put my palm on his chest. "Halt!"

He froze and looked at me guiltily.

Laughing at his disappointed expression, I tugged on his hand, pulling him towards the photographer. "Let's get this over with! I can't fight you off all night long! I don't have the energy!"

"Because I'm so irresistible, you mean?" he asked innocently.

I rolled my eyes at him, grinning. "Of course!" I teased.

While we were waiting in line for pictures, I saw Tank and Lula come through the door. I grinned and waved at them, and they walked over to say hello. Lula was wearing a very tight, very short, very red spandex dress with a pair of red spike heels. The top of the dress wasn't too low cut, and surprisingly, the outfit actually looked pretty good. There were definitely lots of girls at the dance who were also wearing short, tight dresses, and Lula fit right in.

I smiled at my new friend. "Red is a good color for you, Lula."

She stuck out her hip. "Every color is a good color for me. I'm what you call fortunate in that respect. My dark skin and dark hair makes any color look good."

I bit my lip and smiled back at her, nodding.

Tank looked over at Carlos. "You guys have room at your table?"

"Well, we only saved eight chairs, and Cal, Bobby, and Les were sitting with us, but I think Les might move."

Tank raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah?"

Carlos looked down at me uncomfortably. "Yeah, Carmen didn't want to sit with us."

Tank's eyes flicked over to me and then back to Carlos. "Gotcha."

We all stood quietly for a few seconds, looking at each other uncomfortably. Tank finally broke the silence, clearing his throat and saying that they'd head over to our table.

After they left, I grabbed Carlos's arm. "Why doesn't Lester's date want to sit with us?" I asked quietly.

Carlos rubbed my back gently. "It's a long story, Babe."

I gestured to the long line of couples in front of us. "We've got time."

He blew out a resigned sigh and nodded.

"Carmen's family and my family have been friends for a very long time. My siblings and Carmen's siblings have always been thrown together to play and hang out while the adults had cookouts, parties, that kind of thing."

I nodded, encouraging him to continue.

"Sometime in junior high, she developed a crush on me. She was cute, and I had known her forever, so we've gone out a couple of times over the years. She's a nice enough girl, but I just don't like her that way."

My eyebrows furrowed together. "What do you mean you 'don't like her that way?' "

He blew out a sigh. "I've known her forever. She's like a sister to me. She's a nice girl, fun to hang around with, but there's just no…" he struggled to finish.

"Spark?" I offered.

He shook his head, relieved. "Yeah. There's just no spark there."

I chewed my lower lip nervously. "And is there a spark with me?"

His face broke into a wide grin. "Babe. With you, there's an inferno!"

My cheeks flamed a bright red, and he laughed, pulling me against his chest.

"So she's jealous because you're here with me instead of her?" I clarified.

He nodded. "She's wanted me to go to Homecoming or Prom with her all through high school." He paused. "I told her I wouldn't be caught dead going to a school dance."

"So she never thought you'd go with anyone else?"

He shook his head. "_I_ never thought I'd go with anyone else." He cleared his throat and frowned. "She reminded me that I told her if I ever decided to go, I'd take her."

I bit my lip. "Would you rather be here with her?" I asked softly. "Les could probably take me home." 

He grabbed my shoulders and looked at me seriously. "Absolutely not. Stephanie, I love _you_, not her."

I gave him a wobbly smile. "I love you, too." I started blinking fast so that the tears that filled my eyes wouldn't spill over and ruin my make-up.

We got our picture taken and headed back over to our table. Lester and Carmen had decided to sit with us after all, so Tank and Lula just drug over two extra chairs, and we squeezed them in.

There was a buffet for dinner- pasta in red sauce, fettuccini alfredo, chicken, fish, salad, and rolls. I loaded up on the fettuccini alfredo, and Carlos shook his head when he saw my plate.

"I don't know how you can stay so skinny when you eat like that!" he teased.

I shrugged my shoulders and smiled. "I have a great metabolism!"

I twirled a forkful of fettuccini and took a big bite. "Mmmmm!" I moaned appreciatively.

When I had finished half of my plate, Carlos leaned next to my ear. "Babe!" he growled.

I looked up with raised eyebrows. "Hmmm?"

"You know I love to hear you moan your way through dinner, but you're killing the other guys." He whispered.

I looked up, and sure enough, Tank, Bobby, Les, and Cal were looking at me with slightly pained expressions on their faces. I blushed and looked back down at my plate, trying to eat more quietly.

I had ended up sitting with Carlos on one side of me and Bobby's date, Kyra, on the other side. We kept up a friendly chatter through dinner, and I found out that she _was_ in a few of my classes. She seemed really nice, and I thought that maybe Carlos and I could double with her and Bobby sometime.

Thankfully, Lester had made sure that he and Carmen ended up at the other end of the table. She didn't speak to me at all, but every time I looked in her direction, she glared at me.

Most people had finished eating, so the D.J. switched from quiet dinner music to louder dance music. When "The Electric Slide" came on, Connie squealed and dragged me up on the dance floor with her. We hung around for the next several songs, and then I headed back to our table for a quick drink.

The guys were all sitting there, watching the girls dance with big goofy grins on their faces. Since Lester had moved into my seat, I plopped down on Carlos's lap. He wrapped his arms around my middle and dropped a kiss on my head.

"Having fun, Babe?" he asked.

I nodded. "Mmmhmm, but aren't you going to come and dance?"

He raised an eyebrow at me.

"Really?" I whined. "Not at all?"

He grinned. "We'll see."

A slow song started then, and I stood up, tugging on his hand. "You just have to sway back and forth." I pleaded.

He smirked and walked to the dance floor with me. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he placed his hands on my hips. He leaned down to give me a gentle kiss, and I melted into him, my palms and cheek resting on his chest. He held me closer and swayed gently, moving us around the dance floor. It was the most content that I'd felt in a long time.

The next song was a slow song as well, and I closed my eyes, enjoying the feel of Carlos's firm chest under my fingertips. He pulled back, and I looked up to see why. Joe was standing next to him, smiling at me.

"Cupcake." He grinned. "You promised me a dance."

I looked up at Carlos, and he nodded. "Go ahead, Babe."

I tried to give Joe a friendly smile, but I was a little irritated that he was taking me away from Carlos. I put my hands on the tops of his arms and watched over his shoulder as Carlos made his way back to our table. I almost screamed when I saw Carmen intercept him and lead him back out to the dance floor.

"Ouch!" Joe yelped. I had dug my nails into his arms when Carmen had wound her body around Carlos's.

I blushed. "Sorry, Joe." I apologized, still not looking at him.

"What's wrong?" he asked, noticing my murderous expression.

I nodded my head towards Carlos and Carmen. "That!" I growled.

He smirked. "Want to make them jealous?"

"No! I just want her to go away!"

Joe ignored me and danced us closer to them. He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me closer. Leaning down, he whispered in my ear. "Just go with it, Cupcake."

"Go with what?" I asked right before one of Joe's hands slipped down to grab my ass.

I gasped and tried to pull back, but Joe just pressed me tighter against him.

"Joe!" I protested.

He leaned in and nuzzled my ear. "It's working!" he whispered.

I looked over his shoulder, and sure enough, Carlos looked furious. He was trying to disentangle himself from Carmen so that he could make his way across the dance floor. Finally reaching us, he gave Joe a shove back.

"Keep your hands to yourself, Morelli!" he growled.

Joe just smirked at him. "Looked like you were pretty busy yourself, Manoso."

Carlos just glared at him and then turned to look at me. "You OK, Babe?"

I nodded and wrapped my arms around him. "I am now." I breathed as we resumed our close position and swayed to the remainder of the song.

When the faster dance music came on again, I was pleasantly surprised that Carlos stayed out on the dance floor with me. Mary Lou, Connie, Lula, Kyra, and all of the guys also joined us. Noticeably missing from our large laughing, dancing group was Carmen.

I grinned as Carlos pulled me closer to him, his eyes sparkling. He was an excellent dancer! I turned in his arms, my back against his front. My arms were wrapped around his neck, and his hands traced up and down my sides as we swayed our hips together.

**C&S C&S C&S C&S C&S**

Carlos leaned down and nuzzled my neck. "Are you ready to leave yet, Babe?" he asked.

My eyes fluttered closed as I leaned against him. "Yes, please." I whispered.

Carlos needed no further encouragement. He lifted his hand, waving goodbye to the guys and practically dragged me over to our table to gather up my purse and wrap before we ran out to the parking lot.

"In a hurry, Batman?" I teased.

He pulled me against him. "You have no idea, Babe." He ground out.

**C&S C&S C&S C&S C&S**

We were headed towards Point Pleasant, I knew that much. Was Carlos really taking me to the beach? As much as I loved the sand and the surf, it was October in New Jersey. It was going to be _freezing_ out there. Of course, that just meant that I'd have to snuggle up next to him to keep warm…. My cheeks burned at the thought of us wrapped up together on the beach.

I was so busy imagining what we would do when we got to the beach that I wasn't paying attention to where we were going. I suddenly realized that Carlos had pulled onto a side street. The houses on this street were nice sized summer homes. They were painted in colorful hues- mint green, canary yellow, bright pink- and had names like "Sunseeker" and "Personal Paradise" painted on signs in the front yard. Their backyard was the beach.

Carlos turned into a sky blue house named "Ocean Retreat" and turned off the car. He leaned over and kissed my cheek. "Ready Babe?"

I swallowed hard and nodded, following Carlos out of the car. I looked around wide eyed. The street was deserted. Other than the street lights, everything was dark. It made sense. These were summer homes. It was the wrong time of year for beachgoers to spend the weekend at their second home.

"Where are we?" I asked, dazed.

Carlos gave me a breathtaking smile. "Point Pleasant."

I rolled my eyes. "I know _that!_ I meant whose house is this?"

He grinned wider. "This is my Uncle Enrique's summer home. He said that we were welcome to visit for the evening as long as we didn't invite a bunch of other people and have a wild party."

"That was very generous of him!"

Carlos shrugged. "My family is very generous, Babe. Practically everything is community property. We share whatever we can whenever we can."

I looked at Carlos in amazement. It must be wonderful to belong to such a caring and giving family, I thought.

He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and leaned down to nip my ear. "Ready to go inside?"

I crossed my arms over my chest and rubbed them as a particularly strong wind blew. I nodded, and Carlos guided me towards the door. He fished a key out of his pocket and opened the front door, disarming the security system as we walked in.

He flicked on the foyer light, and I looked around the inside, trying to see everything at once. Carlos grabbed my hand.

"Come and see the family room!" he said excitedly.

He pulled me towards the back of the house, turning on the lights as we went. I gasped when I saw the family room. The entire back wall was floor to ceiling windows looking out at the ocean. There were plush couches and chairs all arranged around the windows so that people could sit and enjoy the beautiful views.

"Ohhhhhh!" I whispered breathlessly, pressing my hands to my mouth.

Carlos smiled, looking proud of himself. "Do you like it?"

"I love it!" I breathed.

"I thought you would!" He wrapped his arms around me. "You said that you wanted chocolate and the beach. Here's the beach. I have to go get the chocolate." He dropped a kiss on my head and ran back out to the car.

He came back in with a blanket and a picnic basket. He spread the blanket out on the floor and then opened up the picnic basket, pulling out several small candles. He lit them, sat them all around the floor, and then went around and turned off all of the house lights he had just turned on.

He reached for my hand, and I knelt down on the floor with him.

"We're all done taking pictures, right?" he asked seriously, his gorgeous face flickering in the candlelight.

I tilted my head and looked at him like he had two heads. "Yeeeaaaaaah, whhhhhhhhy?" I asked slowly.

He leaned over and buried his hands in my hair, pulling me to him, and kissing me until I pulled back breathless.

"I've been waiting to do that all night long, Babe." He said huskily.

"You have?" I whispered.

"Mmmmm. Now that I don't have to worry about ruining your hair and makeup, you are in serious trouble, Stephanie Plum!"

My heart sped up and I looked up at him through lowered lashes.

He groaned and laid me down on the blanket. My breathing caught with a hitch as I watched him kneel beside me.

"You're so beautiful, Stephanie," he whispered, leaning down to tease my lips with his lips, teeth, and tongue. By the time he pulled away, I had my hands tangled in his hair, begging him silently to stay.

He lay down next to me, pulling my chest against his. I felt him pressing hard against my hip, and my breathing caught as I looked into his eyes, dark with desire.

"What you do to me Stephanie!" he moaned and ground his hips against mine.

I arched my back, pressing myself against him, panting. He claimed my lips, kissing me hungrily, and rolled us so that he was lying on top of me. He pulled back and looked deep in my eyes as his hands began massaging my thighs. He worked his hands slowly up under the hem of my dress, gently kneading my muscles.

When he reached my blue thong, he brushed his thumb across the center, and I gasped, arching into his hand.

"Easy, Babe." He choked out, slipping his fingers into the sides of my panties. He slowly pulled them down over my legs, never breaking eye contact with me. My breathing was coming in slow ragged pants as I watched his face.

Finally reaching my feet, he pulled the thong off over my silver spike heels and tossed it to the side. His hands retraced their earlier path and were soon back at my center. But now there was no scrap of lace in between us.

Carlos watched my face as he slowly explored over and around my very wet center. I bit my lip, lifting my hips, and throwing my head back when he slowly pressed one finger inside of me.

I moaned while he slowly worked his finger in and out of me. Watching my face, he leaned down and kissed my lips before making his way down my jawline. He left a trail of wet, open mouthed kissed all the way down my neck before blowing over them gently. His teeth traced back over the same wet trail, gently nipping. He picked his head up to watch my face when he slid a second finger inside of me.

I closed my eyes and panted as his mouth teased my neck, shoulders, and collarbone. He bit down on the side of my neck, sucking hard on the tender flesh, and his fingers began thrusting into me harder and faster. I raised my hips to meet him and quickly came undone, screaming his name as stars burst behind my eyelids.

His fingers gently stroked in and out a couple more times, allowing me a few more delicious waves of pleasure before he slipped them out. I lay on the blanket, my arms thrown over my eyes, sucking in deep breaths. My heart was pounding.

Carlos gently rubbed my arms and legs. "Are you OK, Querida?" he whispered softly.

"Yeah." I panted, finally catching my breath.

He lay down next to me, pulling me against him. I shifted, and I still felt him against me, hard. I bit my lip. "You didn't…?" I asked.

He shook his head. "It's OK, Babe."

I stroked him through his black suit pants. "But you should, too!" I protested.

"It doesn't matter. I just wanted you to enjoy it. That's all I care about." He reassured me.

I reached down and unbuttoned his pants. He took in a deep breath. When I reached for the zipper, his eyes fluttered closed, and he let out a low moan.

I unzipped his pants, and his thick, hard length sprang out. He was commando! I wrapped one hand around him and gasped, my eyes wide. He was _huge!_ There was no way that that would fit inside of me! No way!

I ran my fingers up and down his length and then wrapped my hand around him gently. I felt kind of silly admitting that this was as far as I'd ever gotten with any boy before, but it was true. I wasn't really sure what he would like or what he would want me to do.

"Carlos?" I whispered.

"Mmmm." He answered, never opening his eyes.

"Do you want me to…? I'm not sure what to…." I stuttered.

He opened his eyes and looked at me. His hand cupped my cheek. "Babe. Haven't you ever…?"

I shook my head no.

His eyes widened. "Oh." He looked at me, searching. "You don't have to…."

"I _want_ to. I want to make you feel as good as you made me feel. I just don't know what to do." I admitted, blushing.

He placed my hand back on his length and pressed my fingers firmly around it. He leaned back and moaned as his hand guided mine to stroke up and down the full length of his shaft. "Like that, Babe." He whispered huskily.

I continued to stroke him as he tangled his hands in my hair and pulled me in for a searing kiss. His hips bucked up, and he thrust in and out of my hand. He groaned against my mouth. "Stephanie!" he panted.

I squeezed a little harder and stroked a little faster, and soon his hips were arching off the blanket. He came, and it coated my hand and landed on his shirt. He closed his eyes and tried to catch his breath. Once his breathing and heart rate had slowed back down to normal, he grabbed a stack of napkins from the picnic basket, wiping off my hand and his still impressive length. He tossed the napkins away and pulled me in for a kiss. "God, Babe!" he said huskily.

We held each other for a long time before Carlos propped himself up on one elbow. "Ready for dessert?" he asked, grinning wickedly.

I gave him a gentle shove. "You're horrible!"

He pulled the picnic basket over and reached in. I propped myself up on one arm, waiting to see what he would pull out. I gave a happy squeal when I saw a huge slice of chocolate cake with icing drizzled over it. He forked a bite and held it out to me.

I opened my mouth and moaned when I tasted the yummy goodness.

"Babe!" Carlos growled.

"Mmmm?"

He fed me another bite. "That's the same sound you made when I…"

I blushed and coughed on my bite of cake. "Carlos!" I choked out.

He grinned. "What?"

I stuck my tongue out at him. "You should be happy that you rate as high as chocolate cake!"

He leaned down, brushing his lips against mine. "Give me a chance, Babe. I can rate higher than chocolate cake. Much, much higher than chocolate cake."

I just stared at him wide eyed. EEP!

_**TBC**_


	20. Chapter 20

_A/N: Amy (Stephfan6511) and I were messaging about how stories tend to take on lives of their own, and this one is a prime example! Originally it was going to be 1 or 2 chapters long and JUST the detention scene. Then I decided to have Steph notice Carlos before detention and set up a little tension there plus show how they ended up in detention. This story has totally taken on a life of its own! As of right now, it has morphed into a 20 chapter love story between Carlos and Steph. So we'll see where it goes from here! Thanks for reading! ;) _

_Thanks to stephfan6511 and GabbyDunk for their help and suggestions with this chapter!_

**Chapter 20**

**Carmen's POV**

I had heard that Carlos was dating someone, but I had brushed off that rumor as completely unlikely. I had known Carlos from the time we were toddlers, and he had never dated anyone. Not seriously anyhow. He had gone out with girls before, but they never lasted past one date. I was the only girl that Carlos had gone out with more than once.

We had been out several times – dinner, the movies, bowling, miniature golf, and a few other places. Granted, it was usually in a big group, but I always managed to ride with him and sit by him. A few of our nights out had been just the two of us. In fact, my favorite memory was of a dinner date with Carlos. Our families had rented several beach houses in North Carolina the summer before our sophomore year. Carlos and I had gone out to a local seafood place for dinner and then walked along the beach on the way back. We were teasing each other, walking just into the surf and kicking water on each other. Carlos had laughed and picked me up, threatening to throw me into the waves. I squealed and wrapped my arms around his neck in mock fear. I had pressed my lips to his neck and my chest against his.

After spinning me in circles, he gently sat me back down on the sand. I was hoping for a deep passionate kiss, but it didn't come. Instead, he had ruffled my hair and slung a casual arm around my shoulders. I felt crushed. I wasn't sure if he didn't find me attractive or if he only viewed me as a friend. Was I just one of the guys in his eyes?

I had stepped up my efforts at catching his attention, and it had seemed to be working. But when I invited him to sophomore Homecoming, he had flat out told me no. He said there was no way that he would ever be caught dead at a school dance. When I asked him to our junior Homecoming, he had reminded me of his stance on school dances. But when I asked him to our junior Prom, he didn't say no.

He looked at me and smiled. I melted. He said, "Carmen, you know how I feel about school dances."

I nodded.

"If I ever decide to go, you'll be the first to know."

"So you'd go with me?"

He smiled and shook his head. "Sure. If I ever decide to go to a school dance, you'll be my date."

I asked him to Homecoming this year, and he declined again. I had teased him, telling him that he was running out of time to go to a dance with a beautiful girl on his arm.

He smirked and said, "I still have Prom left, not that I think I'll change my mind anytime soon."

I gave him a sexy pout. "Maybe I'll see if Lester wants to go with me." I had been hoping that he would be jealous, but instead he had encouraged me.

"That's a great idea, Carmen. I'll bet Les would be thrilled to have a beautiful girl on his arm for Homecoming."

I smiled and batted my lashes. "Last chance for _you_ to have this beautiful girl on your arm, Carlos."

He gave me a kiss on the forehead. "Ask Les."

I blinked back the tears as I watched Carlos and Stephanie pressed close together on the dance floor. They were busy staring into each other's eyes and were totally oblivious to everything going on around them. I would _kill_ for Carlos to look at me like that. The song changed to a fast one, but they never noticed. They stayed wrapped up in each other's arms, swaying slowly. Carlos was whispering in her ear, and a pretty blush covered her cheeks. I sniffed and dabbed at my eyes.

After a few more songs, I saw the two of them gather up their things and practically run out the door. I wondered where they were going, but I refused to allow myself to think about it too much. It was almost painful to think about Carlos with another girl.

Lester walked over then, a funny look on his face, and I immediately felt guilty for how terribly I had treated him tonight. After all, he was my date. And a family friend. I'd always gotten along with Lester, and he was one of the few people who really knew how I felt about Carlos.

I bit my lip. "Les, I'm sorry. You understand, right?"

Lester put an arm around my shoulder. "I know it's rough to see him with someone else."

I nodded silently.

"Would it make it any better if you knew that they really cared about one another?"

I choked out a laugh. "How could you possibly think that would make me feel better, Les? You know how I feel about him!"

He held my shoulders and turned me to face him. "Don't you want him to be happy?"

I sniffed. "Of course I do. I just want him to be happy with _me_." I gave Les a watery smile, and he looked at me sympathetically.

"I don't think that's going to happen, Carmen. I think Stephanie's the one. He's crazy about her. I mean, she got him to come to Homecoming!"

I snorted. "Yeah. After he promised that he'd take me if he ever went to a school dance."

Les rubbed my arms. "How 'bout we get out of here? Let's grab some wine coolers or beers and go somewhere quieter."

I mopped up my watery face, sniffling. "Sounds good."

He pulled out a key. "My Aunt Marisol said we could borrow their beach house for the evening as long as we didn't invite a lot of people and have a big party. That OK with you?"

I sniffed and gave Les a forced cheery smile. "Perfect! You know I love the beach!"

He wrapped an arm around me and guided me out to his car for the drive to Point Pleasant.

**C&S C&S C&S C&S C&S**

**Steph's POV**

After we finished the chocolate cake, Carlos leaned down and nuzzled my neck. "Want to go for a walk on the beach?" he whispered.

I tipped my head up and smiled. "It's _freezing_ out there!"

He wrapped his arms around me. "I'll keep you warm." He promised.

I bit my lip and nodded, smiling up at him through lowered lashes.

He groaned and leaned his forehead on mine. "If you keep looking at me like that, we're not going anywhere."

I blushed and pulled back, tugging on his hand as I made my way to the back door. Carlos followed me willingly, stopping only to grab a blanket.

We walked out across the back deck and down the steps onto the sand. I leaned against him and pulled off my heels, letting them dangle from my fingers as we walked. A few steps later, Carlos stopped to pull his dress shoes and socks off. He took both of our shoes and tossed them back towards the house.

A huge gust of wind rolled off of the ocean, and I cuddled into him, my hands rubbing my bare arms. Carlos wrapped the blanket around my shoulders and pulled me close as we kept walking down the beach. A ways up the beach I could see a bonfire roaring. In between the crashing of the waves, I could make out some loud, upbeat music. Without thinking about it, we instinctively started walking towards the party.

When we were about a house away, I froze. Carlos stopped and turned around to see why I had quit walking. He raised one eyebrow at me in question. "Babe?"

I bit my lip. "That might be the party that Dickie was talking about going to." I explained.

Carlos nodded his understanding, and we turned to head back towards his uncle's house.

Once inside, Carlos led me over to one of the big overstuffed couches that were in the family room. All of the house lights were still off, and Carlos relit the candles, sitting them on the floor all around the couch. He found a remote that commanded the sound system and turned it on. The room was filled with the romantic strains of an old slow song.

Carlos held out his hand. "Can I have this dance?" he teased.

I grinned, teasing back. "I guess so."

Carlos pulled me up, and my body melted against his. His hands found my hips and then slid around to my ass. One hand pressed my center tightly against his while the other hand slid up to tangle in my hair. My own hands found his perfect ass and groped shamelessly. He groaned under my hands, thrusting against me.

He leaned down and starting kissing me in earnest. I pulled back breathless and threw my head back, panting. Carlos moved to my neck and teased me with his tongue and teeth. My breathing hitched when he hit the sensitive spot behind my ear, and I threw one leg up around his hip.

He grabbed it and held it against him, then both hands came down to cup my ass and lift me up. Instinctively, I wrapped my legs around his waist. My hands tangled in his hair as he continued his assault on my neck.

Moaning, I thrust my hips against his, and he let out a low hiss. His hands squeezed my ass, pressing me more firmly against him. I let out a whimper when he thrust against me. God! That felt so good!

He walked us back to the couch and sat down. I straddled his lap as he continued kissing me hungrily.

I reached out and clumsily unbuttoned his dress shirt, unfastened his tie, and ran my hands over his muscular chest. He leaned back and groaned, his hands holding onto my hips firmly. "That's not fair, Babe." He moaned.

"What's not fair?" I asked huskily, watching him shiver as I scraped across his pecs with my fingernails.

"You get to touch my bare chest."

I blushed and slowly unzipped the side zipper on my dress, lowering the sequined straps. Now all I had on from the waist up was my bra.

Carlos reached around behind me and unhooked my bra, leaving it on my arms. He sucked in a ragged breath and ran his hands up my stomach and under my bra. He cupped my breasts and explored them, massaging them, running his hands around them. His thumbs and index fingers tugged gently on my nipples, and I pulled my arms out of my bra, letting it fall on our laps.

"Stephanie!" he choked out, staring at my naked chest.

I stared deeply into his eyes. "I love you!" I whispered before leaning in and claiming his lips.

I heard a shriek coming from the opposite side of the room, and I jumped, pulling away from Carlos. Looking over the back of the couch, I saw Lester and Carmen. They were standing as if frozen in place, eyes wide, and mouths open in shock. That was when I realized that I had absolutely nothing covering the top half of my body. I folded my arms across my chest, completely mortified.

Carlos took in the situation and pulled off his shirt. He stood me up, turned my back to our audience and helped me slip it on and button it up.

Once I was finally covered, we turned to look at the still stunned pair.

"What the hell is going on?" Carlos growled.

_**TBC**_

_So what do you think should happen now that Les and Carmen are there? Drama? Truce? Review and let me know!_


	21. Chapter 21

_A/N: As always, thanks for the great reviews and messages! I enjoy reading them more than you know! ;) And a great big THANK YOU and YOU'RE AWESOME to GabbyDunk and Stephfan6511 for their interest, encouragement, and suggestions for this chapter! You girls rock!_

**Bold section from Chapter 20**

**I heard a shriek coming from the opposite side of the room, and I jumped, pulling away from Carlos. Looking over the back of the couch, I saw Lester and Carmen. They were standing as if frozen in place, eyes wide, and mouths open in shock. That was when I realized that I had absolutely nothing covering the top half of my body. I folded my arms across my chest, completely mortified.**

**Carlos took in the situation and pulled off his shirt. He stood me up, turned my back to our audience and helped me slip it on and button it up.**

**Once I was finally covered, we turned to look at the still stunned pair. **

"**What the hell is going on?" Carlos growled.**

**Chapter 21**

Lester and Carmen were still across the room, standing like statues in the entrance to the family room, shocked expressions on their faces. Carlos stood behind me, his arms wrapped around my waist protectively.

"Why are you here?" he demanded, glaring at Lester.

Lester shifted his weight nervously from one foot to the other. "I didn't know you guys were going to be here, Cuz. Aunt Marisol gave me the key and said it was fine if we came up here." He held up the key as proof of what he was saying. "I had asked Bobby, Kyra, Cal, and Connie to come up with us, but after everything that happened at the dance…" He trailed off nervously.

Carmen cleared her throat and added softly, "Les thought that maybe this would be a quiet place to talk and relax." She stared down at the floor, her cheeks bright red.

I looked over at Carmen, and I felt some of my anger at her evaporate. She looked like a lost little girl, staring down at the floor. I couldn't blame her for being infatuated with Carlos. After all, I was too. I turned in Carlos's arms and placed my hands on his chest.

"I think you and Carmen need to talk." I said softly, hoping that the quiet music from the sound system covered up what I was saying.

Carlos jerked back and looked down at me, a confused expression on his face. "About what?" he whispered, his eyebrow shooting up in the air.

"Everything. You need to clear things up with her. Let her know where the two of you stand."

His forehead creased as he stared at me. "Babe, there is no 'two of us' between Carmen and me."

I nodded. "I know that, and you know that, but Carmen doesn't seem to know that."

He gave a resigned nod and blew out a frustrated breath. Leaning down, he gave me a quick kiss on the forehead. "I'll be right back." He promised.

He walked across the family room and into the foyer, touching Carmen lightly on the shoulder. "I think we need to talk." He said softly.

She nodded, still looking down, and let Carlos guide her into the kitchen.

I sat back down on the couch, trying to give the two of them some privacy so that this whole mess could be sorted out. Lester came over and sat down beside me, obviously agreeing that they needed a few minutes alone. He gave me a sheepish grin.

"Sorry about interrupting the party, Beautiful." His grin grew wider and more wicked. "But at least it was just the two of us! It could have been everyone else, too."

My eyes widened at that thought and I buried my face in my hands and groaned. Why did everything embarrassing have to happen to me?

Lester bumped his shoulder against mine and cleared his throat. "If you ever need some advice in that area, I'm your guy. It's practically my specialty!"

I looked up, shocked, and saw him grinning like a Cheshire cat. "Did you just offer to teach me about…" I left the ending unfinished, unsure how to word exactly what I thought he was offering.

He barked out a laugh. "Lester Santos, at your service! Your own personal sex expert, a sexpert if you will."

I buried my face back into my hands. "Les! That is just, just…"

"An awesome offer? Something you plan on taking me up on soon?"

I peeked at him from between my fingers. "Don't you think that's kind of weird?"

"What?"

"You. Offering to teach me things to do to your cousin. That's weird."

He grinned. "It's only weird if it doesn't work. And if it doesn't work, it's because you're not doing it right. Cuz my technique is flawless." He leaned back against the couch, a smug grin on his face.

I shook my head and swatted him playfully. "You are so bad!"

He just smirked at me. "But you love me anyway!"

I groaned. "God help me, but I do! I love all of you guys!"

His eyes glinted as he started rubbing his hands together mischievously. "Since you love me, lesson one is free."

I raised my eyebrows at him. "What? Wait a minute! You're planning on charging me for these lessons?"

He looked at me seriously. "Well, yeah! Although the form of payment is negotiable. Are you totally against a hot steamy kiss with lots of tongue?"

I glared back at him. "You know I am! I'm in love with your cousin, moron!"

He clucked his tongue at me. "No need for name calling, Beautiful! That's fine. I already have another plan in mind." He grinned widely. "Actually this payment might cover several lessons. Depending on your performance."

I huffed and crossed my arms over my chest. "What performance? What are you talking about?"

"Another mission!" he said gleefully.

"Toilet papering?" I asked, tilting my head to the side.

He snorted. "Even better than toilet papering!"

I looked at him blankly until he couldn't stand it anymore. He was practically jumping up and down, and he looked about ready to burst.

"Sporking!" he crowed.

"Sporking?" I looked at him like he had two heads. "What the heck are you talking about?"

He leaned closer to me and caught my hands in his. "We make a Taco Bell run and completely wipe them out of sporks. You know, those plastic things that are half spoon, half fork. Then we stick them all in someone's yard."

I looked at him skeptically. "We stick them in someone's yard?"

"Yeah. We shove the handle part into the ground so that there are sporks sticking straight up out of the grass all over the yard!"

I started laughing hysterically. "Oh my gosh! That's hysterical! I'm totally in! Whose house are we doing?"

He wagged his eyebrows up and down. "That's for me to know and you to find out!"

I narrowed my eyes. "As long as I'm not going to get in trouble for this. We're not sporking Principal Marco's yard or anything, right?"

He grinned and shook his head. "No, no, nothing like that."

I leaned my head back against the couch and tried to imagine someone's front yard covered in hundreds of sporks. I couldn't help it, I started giggling. Les grinned and wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

He wagged his eyebrows up and down and tipped his head next to mine. "Stick with me, kid. I'll teach you all kinds of stuff!"

I felt my cheeks get pink. "Yeah, well, for now let's just stick to the sporking. Let me think about the other stuff."

He nodded. "How about I give you lesson one now. You can do your homework assignment after Carmen and I leave and let me know how it goes."

I punched him in the arm. "Is this some big ploy to get me to talk to you about what's going on between Carlos and me? Cuz I'm not going to tell you!"

He smirked. "You try out lesson one, which I guarantee will be successful, and…"

I raised my eyebrows. "And?"

"And then you let me know when you're ready for lesson two."

I crossed my arms over my chest and narrowed my eyes. "What if I don't _want_ lesson two?"

He laughed. "Oh you will, Beautiful. You will!"

And God help me, but I already did! I really needed someone to help me out in this area. I knew nothing. Zip, zilch, nada. I needed someone who could give me some suggestions and advice so that Carlos didn't think I was a complete idiot when it came to sex.

I looked at Lester. "Fine. But if you whip out a banana, I am _outta here_!"

Lester smirked and ruffled my hair. "No food as visual aids. Got it."

I waved my hand in a hurry-up motion. "Well?"

"Take the lead."

I just stared at him. "Huh?"

He leaned back and gave me a gorgeous smile. "Take the initiative, start things."

I tipped my head. "That's all I get?"

"Trust me, Beautiful. That's all you need."

I sucked in a breath. "But…"

He tugged on my hands gently. "Sometimes guys get tired of always being the ones to initiate things. It can be hard to try and figure out what a girl wants or how far to go. It's a huge turn-on if the girl starts things every once in a while."

I blew out the breath I had been holding and nodded blindly. "OK."

He grinned at me as Carlos and Carmen walked back into the room. Les reached down and pulled me up off of the couch. He gave me a hug, whispering in my ear, "Go for it!" before he pulled back and walked over to Carmen.

Her face was tear-stained, but she looked calmer than she had when they first got here. She gave Lester a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Linking arms with him, she asked, "Ready to blow this pop stand?"

Lester grinned and nodded. "Whenever you are."

She tugged him gently towards the door, then stopped. She turned around to look at me, biting her lip. "Sorry to ruin your night, Stephanie." She apologized. "I'm really not a bitch _all_ of the time."

Les threw his arm around her shoulder and grinned. "Just _most_ of the time." He teased.

She glared at him and smacked his arm before glancing back at me. I didn't know what to say, so I just nodded at her.

Carlos followed them to the door, making sure it was locked again, before turning back to the family room.

I chewed my lip, thinking about Lester's homework assignment. Take the lead, huh? Be the one to initiate things. I blew out a sigh. How was I supposed to do that? Run and jump into Carlos's arms? Tie him to a chair and have my wicked way with him?

He walked over and wrapped his arms around me, dropping a kiss on my hair. Deciding it was now or never, I put both of my palms on his chest and gave a firm push. His eyes widened in surprise as he lost his balance and sat down hard on the couch.

Before he could react, I climbed up on his lap and straddled his thighs. I leaned in close and nipped his ear, whispering, "Where were we?" in a breathy voice.

Immediately I felt him harden underneath me, and he groaned as he pulled me in for a passionate kiss.

"Babe!" he growled.

"Yes, Batman?" I whispered huskily, thrusting my hips against his.

He closed his eyes and bit his lower lip. I could tell that he was trying to regain control. Grabbing my hips to still them, he choked out, "What's gotten into you, Steph?"

I didn't really want to tell him that I was taking advice from Lester. I wasn't sure how he'd react to that news. Instead, I waited 'til he opened his eyes, then I looked up at him through lowered lashes. "You don't like it when I start things?"

I rocked against him, and he groaned again. "Yeah, Babe. I do like it. I like it a lot."

I leaned in and kissed him, biting gently on his lower lip and tugging on it with my teeth. He sucked in another breath and slid his hands up and down my back. I could tell that he was letting me have my fun, waiting to see what I would do. It was probably killing him not to be in control right now, but I appreciated his efforts.

I ran my fingernails lightly across his bare chest, gently flicking his nipples. Carlos laid his head on the back of the couch and threw one arm over his eyes. He was breathing heavily when I leaned down and sucked on his pulse point.

He gasped and thrust against me when he felt the sharp sting on his neck. I pulled back and smirked when I saw the dark bruise against his neck. You know what they say about paybacks….

"Babe, please!" he rasped.

I trailed my fingertips up and down his chest. "Please what?" I asked huskily.

He thrust against me and tangled his hands in my hair. He pulled me down for a kiss, his tongue moving in the same rhythm as his hips. I pulled back slightly. By now we were both breathing heavily.

I unbuttoned Carlos's dress shirt and slid it off of my shoulders. We had never fixed my dress, so it was still hanging down, pooled around my waist. My bra was somewhere off to the side of the couch, and I had lost my thong hours ago. I was pretty sure it was by the picnic basket, but at this point, I wasn't sure! At any rate, all that I was currently wearing was my sequined dress. Which was really more like a sequined belt since Carlos had slid the hem up around my waist.

He leaned down to capture one of my nipples with his teeth, and I threw my head back, arching into his mouth. When he bit down, I moaned long and hard, which encouraged him to thrust harder and faster.

My bare mound was rubbing against his dress pants, soaking them with the wetness that he was causing. He reached down between us and brushed his finger across my center, causing me to shriek and grind against him.

"That's it, Babe." He coaxed. "Let go for me."

His fingers teased me a few more times, and I came completely undone. I shuddered and screamed out his name, falling against him bonelessly. He was seconds behind me, calling out my name. Between the two of us, his pants were absolutely soaked, and I felt a little guilty that we had managed to ruin almost his entire outfit this evening.

I would have apologized, but my brain and my body still weren't functioning normally. My head was resting on his shoulder, and I was completely blissed out. If Les and Carmen had walked in now, I wouldn't have been able to move a muscle.

Carlos was trailing his fingers up and down my back, murmuring in Spanish.

"What are you saying?" I whispered.

"I'm just telling you how beautiful you are and how much I love you."

I smiled lazily. "I love you, too."

He tightened his arms around me, and I nuzzled his neck.

"How did your talk with Carmen go?" I whispered.

He let out a small sigh. "Pretty good, considering."

I was really trying to respect his privacy, but the nosy part of me wanted to know what had been said. "Do you want to talk about it or not really?"

He kissed my forehead softly. "It's not that I don't want to tell you, Babe. There's just not really anything new to tell you. Like I told you at the dance, she thought that there was a chance for something more between us, and I didn't. I think she was really shocked and surprised that I was at the dance. And hurt that I hadn't taken her." He paused. "I really feel bad about that."

I leaned my head up so that I could look into his eyes. "What do you feel bad about?"

"She was really hurt that I didn't keep my word to her."

I nodded. "You mean because you didn't take her to the dance?"

"Yeah. If I had remembered that conversation, I would have talked to her after I asked you, given her a heads up. I still would have taken you. It's not that I regret that at all. It's just…" he blew out a frustrated sigh.

"You just hate to disappoint an old friend." I supplied.

He nodded. "Yeah. Carmen and I have known each other for a long time. Almost our whole lives. She feels more like a sister or a cousin than a friend, and I hate that I hurt her."

I stroked his face gently. "It wasn't intentional, Carlos. She has to know that. You're not the kind of guy to intentionally hurt someone like that."

He nodded. "She knows that. She told me that she understood, and I think that she does."

We sat wrapped in each other's arms for a while longer before I felt Carlos's body jerk underneath me.

"What's wrong?" I mumbled, half asleep.

"I didn't realize how late it was! It's already after 2:00, and we still have a long drive home."

My head snapped up as I double checked the time on the VCR player. Crap! My mother was going to have a conniption if I got home after 3:00 am. We both stood up and hurriedly righted our clothes and picked up after ourselves.

Carlos loaded up the picnic basket and reset the house's alarm system before we climbed into the car and headed back to Trenton.

_**TBC**_


	22. Chapter 22

_I am so, so sorry that it has taken me this long to update! The last few weeks of school are always a whirlwind! Report cards, closing out my room, etc. Then we left for a crazy week and a half of Girl Scout events- the Hershey Park Camporee, Philadelphia, then the 100th Anniversary singalong in DC- Girl Scouts Rock the Mall. And for 5 out of 8 days I was in a tent. Gasp! With no internet! Double gasp! But I am home and off for the summer, so hopefully updates will be more frequent! _

_Thanks to GabbyDunk, stephfan6511, jenio1, Karren, and Angela3511 for checking to make sure that I was still alive and planning on updating! LOL! This chapter is for you, Babes! ;)_

**Chapter 22**

**Sunday, October 15, 1995**

We pulled into the driveway, and I saw that the living room light was still on. I turned to Carlos groaning.

"My mother is going to have a heart attack that I'm getting home so late!"

Carlos grinned. "What's the worst she could do? Ground you?"

I glared at him. "Yeah, probably."

He leaned in and captured my lips. Pulling back, he said, "So then just sneak out the window, and I'll take you for ice cream!"

I punched him lightly on the arm. "Har har! I'm glad you think this is so funny, mister!" I tipped my head and looked at him. "Won't your parents mind you getting home so late?"

He gave me a smug grin. "Are you kidding me? First of all, my parents are _thrilled_ that I went to the dance tonight. Mama was already hounding Papa to make some kind of frame that could hold senior Homecoming pictures of me and all of my siblings. Second, Mama loves you. She won't care what time I come home as long as I'm with you."

My eyes widened slightly. "Really?" I squeaked.

Carlos nodded. "Really, Babe. Now, are you ready to go in and face the music?"

I blew out a deep breath. "I guess so."

He slid out of the car, tugging me out after him. We walked up to the door hand in hand and stopped to face each other.

"I had a really good time tonight." Carlos whispered huskily.

I leaned in closer to him. "Me too." I whispered back.

He gently pulled me to him, and I melted against his chest. My lips pressed against his, and I kissed him as if my life depended on it. When I finally pulled back, my heart was racing. I was pleased to see that Carlos also had a slightly glazed look on his face. It was good to know that I wasn't the only one affected!

With one last tight squeeze, Carlos whispered, "Good night." He waited on the front porch until I walked into the living room, closing and locking the door behind me.

I looked around warily but didn't see my mother anywhere. She must be pacing in the kitchen, I decided. Hmmm…. Maybe I could just go upstairs and completely avoid seeing her tonight. Then I wouldn't have to deal with the lecture. I headed for the stairs, completely prepared to deny that I knew my mother was still awake and waiting for me, when the kitchen door opened.

_Crap!_ I froze on the bottom step.

"Have a good time, pumpkin?" my dad asked gruffly.

I whirled around, surprised. "Dad! What are you doing up? Where's mom?"

My dad smiled at me. "I talked her into going to bed around midnight. I told her that I'd wait up for you and make sure that you got home OK. Why? Did you want to talk to her about something? You want me to go wake her up?"

"No!" I screeched. Then clearing my throat, I lowered my voice. "I mean, no, that's OK. I just wondered. Usually mom waits up to grill me about my dates."

My dad winked. "Do you want _me_ to grill you?"

I gave him a broad grin. "Not really."

My father looked at me seriously then. "Did Carlos behave himself?"

My cheeks flooded with color at his question, and I shifted my eyes to the very fascinating painting on the hallway wall. Carlos had most definitely _not_ behaved himself tonight, but I had enjoyed every minute of his horrible behavior!

"Yes." I squeaked out.

He cleared his throat. "He was respectful?"

I nodded. "Yes, daddy."

"Alright then." He growled and pulled me in for a hug. Leaning down to kiss my hair he whispered, "Cuz if he's not, I'll shoot him."

I snapped my head up and looked at my dad, a startled laugh on my lips. I was pretty sure that my dad was joking, but his eyes were serious.

"Does that mean you're going to shoot Steve?"

My dad took a step back and shook his head in disgust. "No. That whole mess is all your mother and sister's doing. I should probably shoot them."

I laughed. "Yeah, that'd go over well!"

He scrubbed his hands over his face and muttered. "I almost feel sorry for Steve, the poor dumb bastard."

I bit my lip to keep from laughing out loud as my dad went around and turned off all of the lights on the first floor. He double checked the doors and windows, and then we headed up to bed.

"Dad?" I questioned softly.

He patted my shoulder. "Yeah, pumpkin?"

"Do you think you could forget to tell mom that I got home so late?"

He grinned. "How's 1:30 sound?"

I smiled back gratefully. "Good! Thanks, dad."

"No problem. Good night, pumpkin." He dropped another kiss on the top of my head and then walked into his bedroom, closing the door.

I let out a huge sigh of relief and headed to my own room. Quickly hanging up my dress, I slipped on my jammies. I put Mrs. Manoso's hair clips back in the padded box and sat them on top of my dresser. Carlos and I were supposed to spend the day together tomorrow, well really later today, so I could return them then.

Once everything was put away, I collapsed onto my bed in exhaustion. Sleep claimed me almost as soon as I shut my eyes, and I spent the next several hours reliving my senior Homecoming in all of its glorious detail.

**C&S C&S C&S C&S C&S**

Carlos greeted me with a grin when I came down the stairs later that morning. In fact, it was the largest, sexiest grin I'd seen him wear yet.

I leaned up to give him a peck on the lips.

"Why are you in such a good mood?" I teased.

He shook his head, still grinning from ear to ear. "No reason."

I might have believed him if he didn't have a little gleam in his eye.

He helped me into the car, biting his lower lip and trying to hide a smirk.

Finally I couldn't take it anymore. I turned around and glared at him, my hands on my hips. "Spill it, Manoso!" I ordered huffily.

He tipped his head back and let out a deep laugh. "Manoso, huh?" he teased.

I just glared at him. He coughed to cover up the last of his laugh but didn't answer me. He just drove to his house with that stupid, infuriating grin on his face. Ugh!

"Mama! We're home!" Carlos called out, pulling me through the door behind him.

Mrs. Manoso bustled out of the kitchen, a big smile on her face. "Stephanie!" she squealed, cupping my face and kissing me on both cheeks.

She grabbed my arm and tugged me towards the kitchen. I could smell something delicious cooking for Sunday dinner.

"Tell me all about the dance!" she ordered as she headed for the stove.

"Well," I began.

"Don't mind me. I'm just your actual child. Don't ask _me_ what happened at the dance last night." Carlos teased, his eyes sparkling.

Mrs. Manoso glared at him. "No one wants to hear what a boy thinks about a dance, Carlito!" she scolded, throwing an oven mitt at him.

He laughed and turned his head, narrowly avoiding being hit by the flying kitchen accessory. Unfortunately, when he turned his head, it provided his mother and me a perfect view of the very large, very dark hickey I had left on his neck last night. Suddenly I wasn't feeling so smug about getting my revenge….

"_Dios mio!"_ Mrs. Manoso shrieked, grabbing Carlos's chin and turning his head.

I felt my eyes widen and my cheeks turn red as she inspected Carlos's neck. She was still spouting off a tirade in Spanish, none of which I understood. Carlos was trying not to laugh as his mother continued to lecture him.

"Please tell me you got the pictures taken before this?" she pleaded, looking between the two of us.

Carlos winked at me and then turned to his mother with a serious expression on his face. "I can't remember, Mama."

She blew out a disgusted breath and smacked him on the back of the head. _"Estupido!"_

I rolled my eyes at Carlos and shot him a look, which clearly said, _shame on you!_ I couldn't believe he was torturing his poor mother like this!

"We got the pictures taken first." I assured her.

She let out a relieved breath. "Thank God!" she sighed. Then she turned back to Carlos. She lectured him in Spanish, her hands flying.

Carlos just grinned at her. "I don't know why you're so upset with me!" he said in a mock serious voice. "I am clearly the victim here!"

I narrowed my eyes at him and so did his mother. She smacked him again.

"Because boys are always the ones who start these kinds of things!" she huffed.

"Exactly!" I smirked in agreement.

Carlos rolled his eyes as we all sat down at the little kitchen table. Mrs. Manoso listened with rapt attention as I told her all about the other dresses, the music, and the food. I carefully left out any mention of Carmen, a detail that didn't escape Carlos's attention. I answered all of his mother's questions and finally gave back the beautiful combs, thanking her again for her generosity.

She winked at me and patted my hand. "You are welcome to borrow them any time, dear."

**C&S C&S C&S C&S C&S**

I was helping Mrs. Manoso clear the dinner table when I heard the front door open and close.

"_Hola, Tia Maria!"_ Lester called out.

Mrs. Manoso glared at him. "What's this I hear about you stealing my Carlito's girlfriend for the evening?"

Les grinned. "She promised to help me with a project, that's all. I'll return her safe and sound, no worries!"

"We should be right back, right Les?" I clarified.

He nodded. "Yep. We'll be back for dessert in an hour or two."

Mrs. Manoso put her hands on her hips and pinned Lester with a stern gaze. "You remember to behave yourself, young man." She scolded sternly.

Lester swallowed nervously as we walked towards the door. "Yes ma'am."

Tugging on my arm, he pulled me towards his Mustang.

"I couldn't wait! I already hit three of the closest Taco Bells and cleaned them out of sporks. We just have to stop at the one right off of North Road."

I grinned and shook my head. I was pretty sure that boys never actually matured past the age of 12 or 13. They get older, yes, but they never mature. Think about it. What are all males 12 and up obsessed with? Naked women, cars, sports, and practical jokes. I rest my case.

Lester backed out of Carlos's driveway and turned to me, a wicked grin on his face. "Soooooo…. How did the homework assignment go?"

My eyes widened and I smacked his arm. Hard. "Just fine, thank you!"

He wagged his eyebrows up and down. "Tell me more so I know what grade to give you."

I glared at him. "You are not getting any details, Les! I already told you that! It went well. Leave it at that!"

He smiled knowingly. "Well, huh? Not spectacular? Just good? OK? Mediocre?"

I groaned. "It was fabulous, OK? Sensational. Terrific. Wonderful. Now drop it!"

His eyes flicked back over to me. "So about lesson two…"

I tipped my head and looked at him. "What about it?"

"You want it, don't you?" he grinned.

I buried my face in my hands. Why the hell did I think that Les could be mature about this? Hadn't I just said that guys never matured past the age of 12? How could a 12 year old boy be mature about sex?

"How bad do you want it?" he asked in a low voice.

"Lester, honest to God! If you're going to be all perverted about this, then I don't need any help from you!"

He chuckled. "Who are you gonna talk to then, Beautiful? Lula?"

I shuddered slightly. Lula's mother was a _professional_, and Lula had access to some serious inside information. I had made the mistake of asking her one question before Homecoming, and the answer I had gotten in return still made me blush! "Um, no. I think Lula's a little out of my league."

"Would you rather ask Carlos about this stuff?" he asked, half serious.

I chewed nervously on my bottom lip. I felt completely comfortable with Carlos. I really did. But for some reason, I wanted to figure some of this out on my own. To surprise him? To learn things that I could do for him and with him? I couldn't explain it. It wasn't that I felt like I _couldn't_ talk to him. I knew I could. I blew out a frustrated breath. "Some of it." I finally answered.

Les nodded his head in understanding. "Steph, you know I respect you and Carlos, right?" he asked softly.

My head snapped up in surprise. "Yeah, Les, why?"

"Well, I joke and tease, but I'd never take it too far. You know that, right?"

I patted his arm. "Yeah, I know. That's why I'm waiting for you to give me lesson number two already."

The serious face was gone in an instant as Lecherous Les returned. He rubbed his hands gleefully.

"You need to _talk_ to him."

My brow furrowed in confusion. "I just said I would. About some of the, uh, more _intimate_ things that I don't know about."

"No, no, no. Not _that _kind of talk!" Les said, exasperated.

I glared at him. "Listen, buddy. Have you forgotten why you're giving me lessons in the first place? Because I know nothing about this particular topic. You can't talk in code around me! You're going to have to spell it out already!"

"Alright, then. Talk dirty to him. Tell him what you like, what you want, what you're going to do."

My face flamed a bright red. "Um, maybe a little less explicit next time!"

Les ignored me and kept going. "If he's doing something that feels good, tell him. If you want him to do something, tell him. And best of all, tell him what you're going to do to him just before you do it. It is hot as hell to have a girl narrate foreplay!"

I took a deep breath. I had asked for this after all! "Les, that's kind of… awkward! I don't know if I can do that!"

He looked over at me, confused. "You don't know if you can do what? Tell him what you like?"

I fidgeted in my seat. "Talk dirty to him!" I choked out. "I'm a Burg girl for crying out loud! My mother would kill me if she found out!"

He smirked. "Are you planning on telling her what you whisper in Carlos's ear?"

"No!" I shrieked.

"Do you think he's going to tell her?"

I shook my head no.

"Then there you go! How would she ever find out?"

I shrugged my shoulders helplessly. This just seemed a little out of my league.

Les pulled into the parking lot of Taco Bell and cut the engine. Turning towards me, he grabbed my hands. "Listen, Steph. I'm not saying that you have to act like a porn star and swear at him or beg him to tie you up or spank you or anything…"

I sucked in a deep breath. Good God! Did this guy have absolutely no shame at all? Wasn't he the least little bit embarrassed talking about sex?

"You just have to tell him what you like, that's all. You don't have to be vulgar. Just vocal. Do you know what I mean?"

I tipped my head to the side and nodded slowly. "I think." I whispered.

"Close your eyes." Les commanded.

I glared at him.

"Come on!" he coaxed impatiently. "I promise not to do anything inappropriate."

Reluctantly, I closed my eyes and sat still, waiting. If he did something disgusting, I was going to kill him.

"Think about last night. When you and Carlos were at the beach house."

I took in a shaky breath as my mind replayed his hands in my hair, on my breasts, on my… Oh! A flush covered my face and crept down my neck.

"Imagine that Carlos is doing something that feels really good…" Les whispered.

I nodded. Oh yeah. I had plenty of those kinds of images.

"Now just tell him how it feels."

"Incredible." I breathed.

"That's all you have to do, Beautiful. If he's doing something that makes you feel good, tell him."

I opened my eyes and slowly shook my head to erase the _very vivid_ images that were flying through my mind. "I think I can do that." I whispered huskily.

Les grinned. "I know you can."

He leaned over and climbed out of the car. "Now let's go get us some sporks!"

I chuckled and climbed out of the car, tagging behind Lester as he entered the store. He sauntered up to the girl at the counter.

"Hey, honey." He said smoothly, distracting her.

I watched as she gave him a wide flirtatious smile and batted her eyelashes. Rolling my eyes, I walked over to the counter that held the napkins, straws, and packets of hot sauce. I opened my purse and shoved in handful after handful of sporks until they were all gone.

Sliding up next to Les, I bumped his shoulder with mine. "Get your drink?" I asked innocently.

The girl behind the counter winked and handed him a cup.

"Yep. Just got it." Les grinned.

"Can I get a cup, too?" I asked in a friendly voice.

"That'll be $1.19." she answered, cracking her gum.

I rolled my eyes and dug out some change as Les filled up his free cup. Jerk!

We carried our drinks back to the car, me grumbling under my breath the whole way about people getting freebies.

Les just smirked. "Don't hate me cuz I'm beautiful, Beautiful!"

I just stuck my tongue out at him as he laughed and pulled out of the parking lot. We drove a little ways down the street, and he pulled into a grocery store parking lot.

Confused, I looked over at him. "We're not sporking the front of the store are we?"

He shook his head. "No, but we have to get them ready." He pulled a handful of sporks out of a grocery bag and began unwrapping them. Catching on to what he was doing, I started helping him unwrap. There were _hundreds_ of sporks! And I am not exaggerating!

"How are we going to get these all in someone's yard without them noticing?" I asked in astonishment.

Les shrugged. "The same way you toilet paper a house without them noticing. You wait 'til it's dark and then you try to keep really quiet!"

I shook my head as we made quick work of unwrapping the rest of the plastic utensils. Finally done, Les hopped out and shoved the trash into a nearby garbage can.

We pulled out of the grocery store parking lot and drove a little ways across town. Turning onto a back street, Les parked across from a small white ranch style house.

"You ready?" he asked excitedly.

"As ready as I'll ever be." I replied, shaking my head at his excitement.

We crouched down and crossed the street in a duck walk. I watched as Les hung the shopping bag on one arm and used his other arm to grab a spork and shove it in the front yard, handle first. Mimicking his actions, I hurriedly used up my bag, randomly sticking the plastic silverware all over the grassy front yard. After about ten minutes, I only had a few left, so I made a ring around the large oak by the sidewalk.

I glanced around and could see Les carefully placing something all over the driveway and the path up to the front door.

"What are you doing?" I hissed.

"They're snappers." he whispered back, finishing up with the front porch.

"What?"

"Snappers, poppers. You know, those things that you used to throw on the ground at the 4th of July? You throw them and they make a popping noise."

I rolled my eyes as we sprinted back to his car. "Have you _met_ my mother? My sister and I were barely allowed _sparklers_! There's no way that she'd let us use those popper things!"

We crouched down in Les's car, our eyes trained on the house.

"What are we waiting for?" I whispered.

"Someone to come home."

I waited a beat, then asked, "For how much longer? We told Carlos's mother we'd be back for dessert in a few hours, tops."

Headlights swept over the car, and we slid further down in our seats.

Les grinned widely. "Showtime, Beautiful!"

I scooted closer to Les and peered out the bottom of his window, watching as the car turned into the driveway of the house we had just _decorated_. As soon as the tires hit the driveway, there were dozens of loud snapping and popping noises. The car slammed on the brakes and sat still for a few seconds. Then gently easing off the brakes, the car moved forward slowly. The popping began again, and the driver turned the car off.

The driver's side door opened and I watched a huge dark figure climb out of the car. He walked towards the front porch, setting off more of the poppers before he hopped into the yard. That's when he appeared to notice the sporks that covered a _huge_ portion of the grass. He leaned down and pulled one out of the ground. Flinging it angrily, he stuck his hands on his hips and looked around.

"Shit!" Lester muttered. "I think we've been made!"

He fumbled to get the key in the ignition as Tank charged across the lawn towards Les's car.

"Santos!" he bellowed. "You're dead! My parents are going to shit a brick! Your ass had better get over here and help me clean this shit up!"

Les finally got the car started and took off, tires squealing, just before Tank made it to the street.

Tank stood in the middle of the road, angrily waving his arms around and screaming obscenities.

I let out a huge breath when we turned off of Tank's road and back towards Carlos's house.

Lester was bouncing around, high on the thrill of pranking one of his friends. "Wasn't that awesome, Beautiful?" he crowed.

"Yeah, awesome." I answered, my heart pounding in my chest. "If you tell Tank I helped you do that, I'll kill you!"

"It's gonna cost you!" he grinned.

"Cost me what?" I growled, eyes narrowed.

"Just a little favor!" he answered innocently.

I sighed and leaned back, banging my head on the headrest. Because what could possibly go wrong when Les called in his little favor? I thought sarcastically.

_**TBC**_

_**So what should Les's favor be? And how should lesson 2 go? ;) Any suggestions for lesson 3?**_


	23. Chapter 23

_A/N: Tiptoeing quietly into the fanfiction room, head down, and hoping nobody notices how late I am…._

_I am so, so sorry that this story hasn't been updated for MONTHS! It was not intentional. I PROMISE this story WILL be finished, even if there are occasional long breaks._

_As I posted on "My Dark Knight in Shining Armor," I won't bother you with the 89,000 things that have been happening in my life. I know we're all busy and that life is crazy for you guys, too! Let's just say that in my house, real life has been more action packed than fanfiction lately! ;) If you want the gory details, feel free to message me. Otherwise, on with the show! :)_

_A great big thanks to stephfan6511 and Karren! I appreciate your help in getting this chapter out, Babes! ;)_

**Lester was bouncing around, high on the thrill of pranking one of his friends. "Wasn't that awesome, Beautiful?" he crowed.**

"**Yeah, awesome." I answered, my heart pounding in my chest. "If you tell Tank I helped you do that, I'll kill you!"**

"**It's gonna cost you!" he grinned.**

"**Cost me what?" I growled, eyes narrowed.**

"**Just a little favor!" he answered innocently.**

**I sighed and leaned back, banging my head on the headrest. Because what could possibly go wrong when Les called in his little favor? I thought sarcastically.**

**Chapter 23**

**Sunday, October 15, 1995- continued**

We were headed back to Carlos's house, as promised, so that we could have dessert with his family. I was hoping for something chocolate. Or maybe Mrs. Manoso's flan again. Oh, who was I kidding? It was dessert! I'd eat it no matter what it was! And since it was Carlos's mother who was making it, I was pretty sure it would be delicious no matter what it was.

Lester turned to grin at me. "Thanks again for your help, Beautiful!"

I gave him a wry grin. "I'd say no problem, but now you're blackmailing me!"

Lester gasped. "Whatever do you mean?" he asked, feigning innocence.

I rolled my eyes. "I believe you're only promising to keep my

involvement a secret from Tank if I help you with some other, horrible prank!"

Lester started laughing. "Oh, Steph! Wait 'til you see what it is!"

I buried my face in my hands. "I'm afraid to ask!" I mumbled through my fingers.

"Shit!" Les swore, and I snapped my head up to see what was wrong just in time to see headlights right in front of us.

**C&S C&S C&S C&S C&S C&S**

**Lester's POV**

I couldn't believe that Stephanie and I had actually pulled a prank on Tank! That man was just about impossible to get! There was almost no way to sneak up on him, and he wasn't gullible enough to fall for much.

I had half expected him to come home while we were in the middle of the sporking. That's what has happened to me every other time I've tried to get his house. And every time he's made me clean it up before his parents saw it. But not this time! Maybe Steph was my lucky charm!

Hmmm… if she really was lucky, I needed to start including her in on some of my plans. And I had some major plans for this year! After all, you're only a high school senior once, and I wanted Trenton High to remember the class of 1996 as the ones who pulled off the best practical jokes in history. The ones that were legend. The ones every other class tried to top but couldn't. Oh yeah. That was my destiny. I could feel it in my bones!

I had to laugh at Stephanie's reluctance to play along. She was a Burg girl, and no matter how often she said that she didn't fit the mold, there was still an awful lot of 'playing by the rules' going on there. I could tell that she wanted to be a little bad every now and then. I could tell that she got a rush from it. Now I just had to encourage her to do it more often!

I snickered as I watched her bury her head in her hands.

I swung my eyes back to the road, and my heart stopped at what I saw. Two pairs of headlights headed right towards us. There was no time for me to try to swerve out of the way. By the time I saw the lights, they were on top of us.

**C&S C&S C&S C&S C&S C&S**

I gripped the steering wheel as hard as I could, willing away the shaky nerves that were bouncing through my body. My knuckles turned white from the effort, and I forced myself to calm down and take deep breaths. Panicking was not going to solve anything right now.

I mentally assessed myself. I felt a little pain here and there, but nothing major. I didn't think that I had any broken bones or any serious injuries.

Allowing myself a small exhale of relief, I turned to look at Steph. She was slumped forward, holding onto the dash with both hands.

"Steph?" I asked, panicked.

She lifted her head, and I felt my breath catch in my throat. Her face was _covered_ with blood. Where was it all coming from?

I unlatched my seatbelt and reached towards her, brushing her hair out of her face. God! I knew head wounds bled a lot, but this was ridiculous! I needed something to wipe her face with. I needed to know where she was injured and how bad it was.

I reached into the glove box and pulled out some leftover fast food napkins.

"Lean back, Steph." I ordered her in a quiet voice.

Stephanie had been uncharacteristically quiet this whole time, and that scared the crap out of me. I would have felt much more comfortable if she were screaming and waving her arms around hysterically. That was the Steph I knew and loved. Not this pale, wide eyed girl who was frozen in place.

She gave me a slight nod and scooted back in her seat, tipping her chin up.

I carefully mopped the blood off her face, grimacing when I saw the source. There was a large gash on her forehead that was causing the blood loss. It was a couple inches long and looked pretty deep. She was definitely going to need stitches.

I fumbled around and reached into the backseat. My gym bag was back there, and I was hoping that I could find something clean to press against Stephanie's forehead. I pulled the bag into my lap and quickly unzipped it, rooting around through the contents. I found a pair of clean gym socks and yanked them out. I pressed one against Stephanie's forehead and grimaced as I watched the white fabric immediately start to turn red.

Stephanie had her eyes closed and was breathing erratically. I didn't think she had passed out, but I was worried that she was going to end up going into shock.

"Stephanie! Open your eyes!" I commanded in a deep voice.

She jumped and glanced over at me, her eyes wide.

"Stay with me, Beautiful. I need you to be alert and responsive when the paramedics get here, OK? I need you to be able to tell them what hurts."

She bit her lip and nodded wordlessly.

I folded the gym sock over on itself so that there were two thicknesses pressed against Steph's forehead, and then I started to look around the car.

How had she gotten the gash? What on earth had cut her forehead like that? The windshield was shattered and cracked but mostly still intact. There weren't any sharp pieces of metal on the frame that I could see. My eyes roamed her side of the car. The sun visor.

It was dark, so it had already been flipped up, but evidently the force of the crash had jarred it loose. The visor was hanging down, and I could see a section along the edge with just a trace of blood. Who knew a sun visor could cause so much damage? Certainly not me.

Stephanie had slid down in the seat just slightly, still holding my makeshift bandage over her wound.

Suddenly from outside the car, I could hear shouting. I looked down at Steph.

"Hey, Beautiful. I need to see what's going on, see if everyone in the other car is alright. You stay put, OK?"

"K" she answered quietly, her eyes still closed.

I didn't really want to leave her, but I truly believed she was OK. I needed to see what was going on. Had someone already called the paramedics? Were there people here who could help Steph?

I climbed out of the car and surveyed the scene in front of me. There were guys running around everywhere. I recognized a few of them- underclassmen from Trenton High. I was pretty sure that one of them was Dominic Rosolli, Connie's younger brother, and heir to the Rosolli "Family" business.

One of Dominic's friends was waving his hands around, screaming. "The car's gonna explode, man! Look at all the gas leaking all over the road! Get Tim out of the car!"

Two of them ran over to the car in front of mine and wrenched open the passenger door. I could hear someone inside moaning and screaming about how much pain they were in, but the guys outside evidently didn't care. They grabbed the kid under the arms and yanked him out of the car. He howled as they threw him, rather unceremoniously, into the ditch across the road.

I shook my head and jogged over to them. "What are you guys doing?"

A blond kid with a pale face and wide eyes looked at me. "The car's gonna blow up! We gotta get everybody outta here!"

I raised an eyebrow at him, planted my feet, and crossed my arms over my chest. "Why do you think the car's gonna blow?" 

He gestured wildly at the liquid dripping out from under the cars. "Look at all that!"

I shook my head. Stupid fuckin' sophomores. "Listen, moron, there're a lot of fluids in a car. Not just gasoline."

I walked closer to where the two cars were smashed together and crouched down.

"This green stuff is radiator coolant; the blue stuff is washer fluid; and the red stuff is power steering fluid. There's some oil over there, and there's probably some brake fluid mixed in here somewhere."

The younger guys looked at me kind of sheepishly. "You mean the cars prob'ly aren't gonna catch on fire?"

I stood up and glared at them. "Not likely. And you guys are idiots for chucking your friend in a ditch. He sounds like he's hurt, and the two of you are throwing him around."

One of the other guys nodded. "He thinks his leg his broken."

I snorted. "Well if it wasn't before, it probably is now!"

They grimaced and looked over at their friend who was laying on his back whimpering and holding his leg.

"Anybody have a car phone?" I asked.

Dominic nodded. "Yeah, I do!"

"Did you call the paramedics yet?"

He hung his head. "Not yet."

I walked towards his car, and sure enough, he had a bag phone sitting on the floor, plugged into his cigarette lighter. Without asking permission, I punched in 911 and hit send. I gave the dispatcher our location and asked for several ambulances. I knew at least Steph and Tim needed medical treatment.

Ending that call, I scrubbed my palm across my face. Steph's parents were going to need to be informed of what had happened, but I didn't know her number. Carlos would, though.

I let out a frustrated sigh. That was a call I _really_ didn't want to make right now. I knew that Carlos wouldn't blame me for the accident. It clearly wasn't my fault that the other car had gone left of center and hit us head on. But that didn't mean that he was going to take the news well.

I dialed Carlos's number and hit send.

"_Hola, _Manoso residence!" Tia Maria answered.

I groaned. Fuck! Why did Tia have to answer instead of Carlos? Because Carlos never answers the phone, dumbass! I chastised myself.

"Hello?" she repeated louder.

"Tia Maria, this is Lester…" 

Before I could get any further, she interrupted me loudly. "Lester! We've been waiting for you and Stephanie! You were supposed to be back here already! Carlos is pacing in his room. He thinks I don't know, but I can hear him walking back and forth, back and forth. Where are you?"

I covered my eyes with my hand. "There's been a little accident, Tia." I said calmly.

"An accident?" she shrieked. "Where? What happened? Is Stephanie OK?"

"I'm just fine. Thanks for asking." I told her sarcastically.

She let out a loud huff, and I could just picture her with a hand on one hip, glaring at the phone. "Well, of course you are OK, idiot! I'm talking to you! Now answer me! What happened? Is everyone OK?"

"There was a car accident. A guy from school crossed over the yellow line and hit me head on. We're waiting on the paramedics now. Steph's gonna be OK. She's got a pretty nasty gash on her forehead, but I think that's all."

"Ohhh!" Tia sniffed. "Poor Stephanie! You're OK? Are you hurt?"

I answered her softly. "I'm fine, Tia, but I need you to call Steph's parents. I don't know how to get a hold of them, and I need them to meet us at the hospital."

Tia cleared her throat and sniffed loudly. "Of course, honey. What hospital?"

"Probably St. Francis."

"I'll call your mom and dad and Stephanie's as soon as we get off the phone." Tia promised.

I cleared my throat. "Thanks, Tia."

"Lester, take care of Stephanie. Please?"

"I will, Tia. Bye."

I hit end and stuck the car phone back inside the bag.

Crawling out of the car, I saw all of the guys huddled around Tim, the friend they had thrown in the ditch. Evidently he was still in pain, and they were trying to "medicate" him with a bottle of vodka.

I crossed my arms and leaned back on my heels. "You guys _do_ realize that they're gonna send a cop car with the ambulance, right?"

They looked up at me, confused.

"They send a cop every time an ambulance is sent out. In case they need to document anything."

The guys just stared at me, not getting it.

I gestured at the bottle of vodka. "TPD may not be in favor of half a dozen underage high school students passing around a bottle of vodka."

Recognition finally dawned on their faces, and one of the guys grabbed the bottle off of Tim. He ran further down the road and dumped the contents into the ditch before throwing the bottle into a neighbor's trash can. He had just made it back to the group when the sound of far off sirens reached us.

I jogged back over to my car and saw Steph sitting against the seat. Her eyes were closed, and she still had her hand pressed against the gym sock, but it wasn't doing much good. The front of her sweatshirt and jeans were now covered with a fair amount of blood.

I sucked in a breath. At least I _hoped_ all that blood was from her forehead. I hadn't really checked her over very well once I noticed the blood on her face. Crap.

I yanked the other gym sock out of the bag and carefully put it on top of the first one.

Steph gave a little groan when I pushed it against her forehead.

"I know, Beautiful, but the ambulance is on its way. I can hear the sirens now. Does anything else hurt? Just your forehead?"

She made a sound that I guessed was her answer; I just had no idea what it meant.

**C&S C&S C&S C&S C&S C&S**

When the ambulances arrived, I climbed in the back with Steph. At first the paramedics weren't going to let me ride along, but once Steph grabbed my hand in a death grip and absolutely refused to let go, they had no choice but to allow it.

The paramedics had done a quick assessment and immediately decided that they needed to cut off her clothes to determine exactly where all the blood was coming from. Steph was mortified and tried to convince them that she could at least _take them off_ versus having them _cut off_. The paramedics flatly refused, saying that they needed to keep her as still as possible. They couldn't risk any further injuries by having her take off the sweatshirt and jeans she was currently wearing.

I promised not to look and even held a sheet up while they shredded her clothing and bagged it. When they determined that all of the blood was solely from the cut on her forehead, I let out a huge sigh of relief.

The ride to the hospital flew by, and before I knew it, we were pulling into the ambulance bay at St. Francis. The paramedics moved quickly and efficiently, pulling out the stretcher and wheeling it inside.

We entered the building, and Steph was wheeled past the waiting room and into the ER area; Tim and the other ambulance crew just seconds behind.

When Steph and Tim were wheeled past, practically the entire waiting room emptied out and funneled back into the ER. It was absolute chaos.

Stephanie's parents were on one side of her gurney. Her mother was crying and hanging onto the railing; while Carlos and Tia Maria firmly held the railing on the other side. The nurses were trying to get everyone to go back into the waiting room when Sal Rosolli stormed back into the ER. His wife was hanging onto his arm and whispering urgently, but he wasn't listening to her at all.

He scanned the room quickly and found Dominic. Glaring, he strode over to him.

"What the hell did you do?" he growled between clenched teeth.

Dominic cleared his throat nervously. "It was an accident, dad."

"What. Did. You. Do?" Sal repeated in a lower, menacing voice.

"There were two cars of us out tonight. We were headed to that new BBQ restaurant that everyone keeps talking about. Jeremy was in front, but he didn't know where it was, so he slowed down and motioned for us to get in front and lead the way."

Another kid cleared his throat and filled in. "We were on Niles Road. You know how curvy and hilly that road is."

Sal stared unblinking at the two of them, and Jeremy rushed to continue.

"I motioned Dominic to go around, but then I saw a car coming. I sped up so he'd fall back, but he didn't."

"I sped up." Dominic whispered guiltily. "I thought they were playing around."

"I sped up more and waved him back, but that didn't work either." Jeremy whispered.

"I sped up even more. I didn't see the other car until it was too late. We were both coming up opposite sides of the same hill, and I was completely in their lane."

Sal lowered his head, his hands clenched into fists. "You hit them head on? In their lane?"

Dominic swallowed and nodded nervously.

"Idiots!" Sal raged.

The other adults in the ER stared at Sal, openly shocked as he began directing nurses and doctors away from the boys and towards Stephanie.

"But, sir!" one of the nurses protested. "They appear to be in pain; that boy over there especially."

"It serves them right!" Sal growled. "They can just wait until you've seen to Miss Plum's injuries!"

The nurses gaped at one another as Sal stood directly in front of the two boys, physically blocking the nurses from attending to either of them.

The nurses finally decided that it would just be easier and quicker to follow Sal's wishes than to try to argue with him, so a whole group of them swarmed down on Stephanie. They wheeled her into a curtained area and transferred her to a bed, returning the gurney to the waiting EMT's. Pulling the drapes around her to give her at least a small amount of privacy, they quickly examined her.

I guess the saying 'many hands make light work' is actually true, because it took only a few minutes for them to assess Steph's injuries and determine a plan of action.

They stepped out and scanned the large crowd. "Family of Stephanie Plum?" one nurse questioned.

Mr. and Mrs. Plum stepped forward and nodded at them.

"Would you like a private update?" the nurse asked, glancing at the large crowd that still refused to return to the waiting room.

Mr. Plum spoke in a brisk and no nonsense voice. "No. We'd just like to know what's going on. And we'd like to know now."

The nurse nodded. "It appears that your daughter has a pretty good sized laceration on her forehead. It is about two to two and half inches in length and fairly deep. One of the nurses is headed to call for a plastic surgeon now."

The nurse paused when she saw Mrs. Plum's wrinkled brow. "Yes?"

Mrs. Plum spoke in a whisper. "A plastic surgeon? I don't understand."

The nurse shrugged. "Any time the laceration is somewhere very obvious, especially on the face, we like to have it stitched up by a plastic surgeon. They do the best job and can make sure that the scars left behind are as small and unnoticeable as possible."

Mr. Plum nodded. "That makes sense. Anything else?"

The nurse nodded. "Her pupils are not equal and reactive. We'd like to take her for a CT scan to determine whether or not she has a concussion."

Mr. Plum nodded again. "Of course."

The nurse gestured towards the waiting room. "If the two of you will just head out to the registration desk, we'll need one of you to fill out some insurance information for Stephanie. Then you can wait out there. As soon as we have any results, we'll be out to update you."

Mrs. Plum nodded, but Mr. Plum stood firm. "Bring me the forms, and I'll fill them out here. I haven't seen my daughter for more than just a few seconds when she was wheeled through here. I'm not leaving her until she goes for her scan."

The nurse looked surprised, but quickly headed off in search of a clipboard and some forms.

Mr. and Mrs. Plum walked back to Stephanie's curtained off area and began talking to her.

"Are you alright, Pumpkin?" her dad asked gruffly.

I could barely hear Steph's quiet answer over all of the commotion. "I'm fine dad. How are Carlos and the guys?"

"They're fine, honey. Just fine. Why?"

"Was Carlos hurt in the accident, too?"

Her dad sounded confused when he answered her. "He wasn't with you, baby. He and his mom were with us in the waiting room when they brought you in."

"Oh. Les and Tank? Are they OK?"

"Let me check." Her dad stepped out of the curtained area and pinned me with a look.

"Who was in the car with her?"

I swallowed hard. "Just me, sir."

"Why does she think Carlos and this Tank person were with her?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. We had just left Tank's house and were headed back to Carlos's. Maybe she's getting confused."

Her dad nodded and looked between Carlos and me. "You two come on back here. Maybe seeing you will help her remember what happened."

Carlos didn't need to be asked twice. He flew past the curtain and stood next to her bed. Rubbing her cheek gently, he whispered, "Hey, Babe!"

"Carlos?" she asked, confused. "Are you OK?"

"I'm fine, Steph. I wasn't with you, remember?"

"Oh. How are Les and Tank? Are they OK?"

I spoke up and moved closer to the bed. "I'm fine, Beautiful. Just a few scrapes and bruises. Tank wasn't with us. We had just left his house."

Stephanie looked thoughtful for a few minutes before she turned back to Carlos. "Do you have scrapes and bruises, too?"

Carlos's brow furrowed. "No, Babe. I wasn't with you."

We all looked at each other, concerned. The nurse who had just hooked up Steph's IV motioned us all out of the curtained room. "We'll be right back, honey!"

"OK, but Dad could you do me a favor?" Steph replied.

"Sure, pumpkin, what do you need?"

"Could you ask the nurses how Carlos and the guys are? I just want to make sure that they're alright."

Mr. Plum looked at the nurse, who nodded. "Sure honey! We'll be right back."

The nurse pulled the curtain shut and led us all a few feet away from it.

"What's going on?" Carlos demanded. "Why can't she remember who was with her or what happened?"

The nurse held her hand up for silence. "This is very common, especially in cases where the patient has experienced some kind of head trauma. We say they're caught in a loop. The patient asks the same questions over and over again until they have finally worked through what happened."

"When will it stop?" Mr. Plum asked.

The nurse shrugged. "It varies case by case. The best thing you can do is to just keep answering her questions. If you get tired of it, step out, and have someone else take a turn. She's not trying to be difficult; she's just confused right now. Stephanie needs all of you to help her work through this."

Mr. Plum nodded. "Could this be caused by the concussion?"

The nurse nodded. "It certainly could. In fact, this behavior coupled with her pupils makes it very likely that she does have a concussion."

We all exchanged concerned glances.

"What does that mean?" Mrs. Plum asked, twisting her hands. "What affect will that have on Stephanie? What do we need to do?"

The nurse just shook her head. "For right now, nothing. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Let's wait until we find out for sure if she has a concussion. You are all welcome to wait with her until we take her back for her scan. Then we really need you all to head back out to the waiting room."

We all nodded in agreement and headed back towards Stephanie's curtained off area.

_**TBC**_


	24. Chapter 24

_A/N: Thanks for the encouragement, Babes! I am always so excited to see that I have a new review or message. I love to hear what you guys think about the story! :) _

**Chapter 24**

**Sunday, October 15, 1995- continued**

**Carlos's POV**

_**(right after dinner)**_

Les walked out the door with Steph, and Mama turned to face me. She had a hand on one hip and was pinning me with a serious stare.

"What?" I asked her.

She narrowed her eyes. "You're going to let your girlfriend go out with Lester? Alone? Do you really think that's a good idea?"

I rolled my eyes at her. "Mama, they'll be fine."

She let out an exasperated snort. "I am not an idiot, Carlos! I know what the two of you are usually fighting over. Girls. Punching each other, having little contests, trying to steal girls away from each other."

I tried not to let the surprise show on my face. All of those things were true. Very true. Les and I had fought over girls more times than I could count. I was just shocked that my Mama knew about it.

"Well?" she huffed.

I shrugged. "That was different."

"What do you mean that was different?" she shouted, throwing her hands up.

"Those other girls weren't Stephanie."

My mother looked straight at me, arms crossed over her chest. "Explain." She ordered.

"I didn't care about any of those girls the way I care about Steph. Les knows that."

Mama shook her head and walked back into the kitchen. "I certainly hope you're right!" she snapped as she walked back into the kitchen. I could hear her muttering under her breath as she slammed the drawers and cupboard doors.

I definitely trusted Stephanie, and I was pretty sure that I trusted Les. But now that Mama had me thinking about it, I couldn't stop. I was remembering all of the idiotic things we'd done in the past.

Stephanie and Les would be gone for an hour. Maybe two. I decided to head up to my room and work on the English paper that was due this coming week. Hopefully it would take my mind off of what Steph and Les were doing. With any luck, I could get most of it done before they got back. Then I could spend the rest of the week with Steph.

I pulled out the assignment paper and reread it. _Write an essay of at least 500 words that answers this question- Could Romeo and Juliet have escaped their fate?_ _Consider these questions- Is the ending of the story fate, or did they cause their own downfall? Identify key points in the story where the characters made life-changing decisions. What might have happened to the characters if they had made different decisions at this point? Write a second essay of at least 500 words that answers this question- Do you believe that you have control over your own fate? Consider these questions- What things have happened to you that were "out of your control?" Is there any way that you could have prevented the outcome? Why or why not? What things that have happened to you have been within your control? What did you do to cause the specific outcome that occurred?_

Groaning, I flopped onto my bed. Could Romeo and Juliet have escaped their fate? Yes. They were idiots. Of course people had control over their actions. They should have just declared their love for each other and moved on. What events were "out of my control?" None. I had control over everything that had ever happened to me, good or bad.

I sat up quickly as a thought ran through my head- _except for Stephanie. _That was true. I hadn't caused myself to meet her. I hadn't done anything to fall in love with her, and there was no way that I could make myself stop loving her even if I wanted to. Which I didn't. Hmmm….

I laid back down on the bed. What if I truly thought that I had lost Stephanie? Forever? My stomach knotted. I couldn't allow myself to explore that line of thought for too long, but I was definitely feeling more sympathetic towards Romeo.

I worked on my paper for a little while, but my thoughts kept straying to Stephanie and Lester. What were they doing? What was taking them so long? Why hadn't I gone with them?

I looked down at the papers spread out on my bed. I had put short answers on the direction page, but I only had a few paragraphs actually written out.

I blew out a frustrated breath and scrubbed my hands across my face. This was pointless. I wasn't accomplishing anything. It was too hard to concentrate on Shakespeare's love story when my girlfriend was out with another guy.

I gathered up the papers and books and tossed them onto my desk. Grabbing my Nerf ball, I walked across the room and aimed for the hoop on the back of my door. Swish.

I bent down and picked up the ball. I paced back and forth across the length of my room, tossing the ball up in the air as I walked. Somewhere in the back of my mind, it registered that the phone rang, but I didn't give it much thought. I was too occupied thinking about Stephanie and what I wanted to do with her on the drive back to her house.

A quiet knock interrupted my daydreams.

I looked over at the door. "Come in!"

The door opened, and my mom walked in. Her eyes looked wide and watery, and she was wringing her hands nervously.

"Carlos," she began, crossing the room towards me.

I froze. "What's wrong?" I asked quietly.

"Lester just called…" Her voice broke as she choked on a sob, and I dropped heavily onto my bed.

"There's been an accident."

My throat was so tight that I wasn't sure I would be able to talk. "Stephanie?" I managed to croak.

"She's OK. Lester said she has a bad cut on her forehead. They're waiting for the ambulance."

I nodded woodenly.

Mama crouched down and held my hands. "Do you want to go to the hospital, Carlitos?"

I cleared my throat. "Yes." I rasped out.

She nodded. "I thought you would. Let's go. Stephanie may already be on her way there by now."

I stood up and followed my mother down the stairs. I felt like I was moving in slow motion. Each step seemed to move me only a fraction of an inch closer to where I wanted to go. Blood rushed in my ears. I could tell that Mama was talking to me, but I couldn't make out what she was saying. I just stared and nodded when it seemed appropriate.

**C&S C&S C&S C&S C&S**

By the time Stephanie was taken back for her CT scan, my Tia Carolina had arrived and was insisting that Lester get checked out. He was trying to wave off her worries, but his face, hands, and arms were covered in a lot of dried blood.

He finally relented, and a nurse directed him back towards a curtained area. Tia headed out to the reception area to fill out Lester's insurance forms, and I followed him back to the exam area.

The nurse raised her eyebrows at me, but didn't ask me to leave. I figured that if I stayed out of the way and pretty quiet she wouldn't kick me out.

The nurse took one look at Lester's arms and face and announced that she would be right back with some water and washcloths to clean him up.

As soon as she left, I turned towards him and hissed, "What the hell happened?"

Lester squirmed a little on the bed and looked up at me nervously. "You heard what Dominic said, man. We were just driving back to your house, and BAM! I didn't even see the headlights until about 2 seconds before the crash."

I buried my face in my hands, but I was sure that Les could feel the anger radiating off of me.

"She's gonna be OK, man." He said softly.

I lifted my head and looked at him, anguished. "She doesn't even know who the hell was in the car with her! How can you say she's gonna be OK?"

"They said that's normal. That it happens all the time, especially with head traumas. Give her a couple hours. Maybe a day." Lester paused. "Besides, did you notice that she asked about you first? Every time?"

I furrowed my brow and stared at him.

He nodded, as if reaffirming what he'd just said. "How is Carlos? Is Carlos OK? Does Carlos have any scrapes and bruises? She may not remember the accident, but she remembers you. And she remembers how much she cares about you. Isn't that the important thing?"

I blew out a frustrated sigh and flopped down in the plastic chair by Les's bed. "Yeah, you're right." I muttered.

The nurse came back in then and began washing off Lester's arms. I should have been relieved that he only had a few small scrapes and scratches, but that meant that the majority of the blood covering him was Stephanie's. I didn't know what to do with that. On one hand, I felt like I was going to be sick. On the other, I was furious.

It was a damn good thing that Dominic Rosolli had already been taken up to the pediatric floor, or I would've killed him. Personally. With my bare hands.

**C&S C&S C&S C&S C&S C&S**

**Maria's POV**

I snuck a quick glance at Carlos as we walked out to the parking lot. His hands were stuffed in his pockets, his head down. He looked discouraged.

Because Stephanie had come in later in the evening and through the ER, the nurses had let us back to her room even though visiting hours were over. We were allowed to stay for just a little while, but Stephanie had been in and out for her scan and to get her stitches. She had just come back from getting stitched up when the head nurse came in to remind us that Stephanie needed her rest.

I could tell that Carlos had wanted to stay until Stephanie was more aware of what was going on. He kept ignoring the subtle hints from the nurse that it was time to go. He wanted to stay longer, but she finally came in and ordered out everyone but immediate family. Carlos had nodded wordlessly and stood up, following me to the door.

I reached out and patted his arm as we got to the car.

"She'll be OK, _mijo_." I said reassuringly. "And you can visit her after school tomorrow."

Carlos turned and looked at me, raising one eyebrow in silent comment. I shook my head as I started the car. I knew what he was thinking. There was no way that he was going to school tomorrow. I could either allow him to skip, or I could choose to ignore it, but he was coming to the hospital.

I blew out a defeated sigh. "Fine, I'll drive you tomorrow morning."

Carlos's lips barely tipped up at the corners, but I knew that he was grateful for my acceptance of the situation and his feelings.

**Steph's POV**

My head felt fuzzy. It was almost like I had just woken up, but I hadn't been sleeping. It was a peculiar, unfamiliar feeling, and I wasn't sure what was causing it. I blinked and looked around me.

My mom and dad were sitting in plastic chairs across the room. My dad was wiping his eyes. Wait a minute. Was my dad _crying_? Grandma Mazur was sitting next to me, absently patting my hand.

I glanced around some more. Where was I? What was going on? I took in the IV pole next to my bed. A hospital bed? Was I in the hospital?

I looked over at my grandmother. "What happened?" I asked.

I had a feeling of déjà vu when she answered, "You were in an accident, honey."

"Have you told me that before?" I asked curiously.

She smiled. "Several times."

I made a face. That probably meant that she'd already answered the other questions I had, but I was going to ask them anyhow.

"Is Carlos OK?"

She smiled and nodded, still rubbing my arm. "Just fine, sweetie. He wasn't with you."

"Lester? Tank?"

"Lester was the only one with you, and he's just fine. They treated him for a few minor cuts and bruises, but he was released hours ago."

I nodded and looked around the room. My heart stuttered when I saw the letters on the IV pole. ICU. My eyes snapped back up to Grandma's.

"What's wrong with me?" I asked quietly.

Grandma's forehead furrowed in confusion. "Nothing, honey, why?"

I narrowed my eyes at her. "I'm not an idiot, Grandma! What's wrong with me?" I asked, my voice slightly raised.

Mom and Dad looked up then.

I repeated myself, louder this time for their benefit. "What's wrong with me?"

Mom walked over and sat down on the edge of my bed. Smoothing the sheets, she answered calmly. "You're going to be just fine, Stephanie. There's nothing to get all excited about."

I rolled my eyes. "My IV pole says ICU, Dad's crying, and Grandma's here. What. Is. Wrong. With. Me?"

My mom shook her head. "You're not in ICU."

I gestured to the IV pole. ICU. Right there in big black permanent marker.

"You're in Intermediate Care." She continued. "It's a step down from Intensive Care. You're right outside of the nurses' station. Listen when they answer the phone."

I listened, and sure enough, the next call was answered with, "Intermediate Care, Cheryl speaking."

I let out a relieved breath. Intermediate Care was good, right? At least better than Intensive Care. That probably meant I wasn't dying. So what _was_ wrong with me?

I casually stretched my arms over my head and pointed my toes. Yep. I still had both arms and legs. Nothing had been amputated that I was aware of.

Mom, Dad, and Grandma Mazur were all staring at me intently as if they were waiting for me to do something.

"What?" I asked.

Dad shook his head. "We're just trying to figure out if you're really back with us."

"Huh?"

"You've been kind of stuck in a loop for a little while, Pumpkin. Asking the same questions over and over, not really aware of what was happening. Confused."

I tipped my head to the side. "Well, I'm still confused, but I _think_ I know what's going on?" My voice raised at the end, making it a question. Did I know what was going on? I thought I did. Right?

Dad smiled. "That's good to hear."

He reached over and ruffled my hair, and I smiled at him.

"So what's wrong with me?" I repeated. It seemed like the thousandth time that I had asked the question. So far, no one had answered me. And that had caused my imagination to run wild with all sorts of crazy, terrible ideas. I still had both arms and both legs, though, so it couldn't be too bad, right?

Mom tucked my hair behind my ear. "You were in an accident, honey. Do you remember that?"

I searched my brain, trying hard to come up with pictures or memories of an accident, but I came up blank. I shook my head quietly.

"What's the last thing you do remember?" Grandma Mazur asked.

"Eating dinner at Carlos's."

They all exchanged glances.

Dad cleared his throat. "You don't remember leaving with Lester?"

I thought for a minute before finally shaking my head. "I know that Les and I had plans. I remember talking to him about picking me up at Carlos's, but I don't remember actually leaving with him."

Grandma spoke up. "You don't remember the accident at all?"

I shrugged and lifted my hands, palms up. "Nope."

They all seemed surprised by that, and now I was curious. I wanted to know what had happened, too.

"What happened?"

Dad shook his head. "Connie's brother, Dominic, went left of center and hit your friend's car head-on."

I gasped and sat up a little straighter. "Is everyone else OK? You said Lester was OK, right?"

"Shh, shh!" Mom soothed, patting my hand. "Everyone else will be just fine."

I nodded and leaned back against the hospital bed.

"What's wrong with me?" I repeated.

Dad looked confused. "Nothing, Pumpkin, why?"

I rolled my eyes. "I'm in the hospital. What's wrong with me?"

Grandma's eyes lit up. "You had to have stitches to close up the gash on your forehead. Eleven of them! Must've been a real pip of a cut! And you're officially the first woman in our family to have plastic surgery!"

"What?" I cried.

Mom glared at Grandma. "Mother, really!" she scolded. Lowering her voice, she turned to me. "They had a plastic surgeon stitch up the cut so that you wouldn't have a scar. That's all."

I nodded. "So why am I still here? They're done with the stitches, right?"

Dad cleared his throat. "Your pupils weren't equal and reactive. They thought you had a concussion, so they sent you for a CT scan. It turns out you did have one. A very mild one, but they still wanted to keep you for observation. Especially because you were confused and couldn't seem to get your memory back."

Huh. That wasn't what I was expecting at all. Well, really, I didn't know what to expect, but it wasn't that. A concussion. Huh.

I cleared my throat. "So that's all that's wrong with me? A slight concussion and some stitches?"

"You're going to have two black eyes once that swelling goes down." Grandma informed me cheekily.

I groaned and held my face in my hands. It was then that I realized I had to go to the bathroom. _Bad._

I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, and my mom stopped me. "Stephanie, what are you doing?"

"I have to go to the bathroom!"

Mom looked nervous. "I don't know if you should be getting up without help. Can you wait until I call one of the nurses?"

I shook my head. "No! I need to go now!"

She nodded and stood up, reaching over to help me up. "Grab my arm." She instructed.

I raised my eyebrows at her.

"Just in case!" she insisted. "They said it wouldn't be unusual for you to be a little dizzy."

I grabbed her arm and stood. It was as if I could feel the blood draining from my face. I started to feel lightheaded, and I sat heavily back on the bed.

"Dizzy?" Mom asked quietly.

I nodded. I hated to admit that she was right, but it wasn't going to do me any good to lie about it.

I stood up again, this time holding firmly to my mom's arm, and made my way to the bathroom. Mom drug my IV pole behind us, and we paraded towards the small room. She helped me to get settled on the toilet, and then thankfully left the room so that I could have a little privacy.

"Holler when you're ready to get up." She said as she was closing the door.

When I was finished, I was tempted to try to stand by myself, but the memory of how dizzy I had been just a few minutes earlier quickly squashed that idea.

I called for my mother, and she came in, helping me to stand and guiding me over to the sink to wash my hands.

I glanced up at the mirror and gasped when I saw my reflection. At first I wasn't even sure it _was_ me. I barely recognized the person I saw staring back at me.

My normally crazy hair looked like it had been electrocuted. It stuck out all over my head. The hair around my forehead had dried blood in it, and there was more dried blood all over my face and neck. There were pieces of black thread knotted in a row across my forehead. My stitches. My nose was swollen, making my eyes look teeny tiny, and Grandma was right. As soon as that swelling went down, my eyes would be black and blue. They were already starting to turn a little purple.

I started to cry, and mom tried to console me.

"Now, Stephanie, don't get all upset. The stitches will come out; the swelling will go down. You'll be back to normal in no time. You'll see."

I washed my hands silently, still feeling sorry for myself. I felt like Frankenstein's monster. Stitched together and looking hideous.

I climbed back into bed and stared at my lap, quietly picking lint off of the blanket.

Grandma smiled and tried to cheer me up. "Carlos was in earlier to see you, honey."

My heart stuttered. "He was?"

Grandma nodded. "The nurses made him leave, though. You're only allowed a few visitors at a time in Intermediate Care, and it was way past visiting hours."

I nodded back. I wasn't sure if I should be horrified that Carlos had seen me in my current condition or not.

Grandma leaned over and gave me a kiss. "I was waiting until you felt better, sweetie, but I should really get going. I'll be in first thing tomorrow, OK?"

I nodded, and she looked over at my parents. "Would one of you mind driving me home?"

My parents started gathering their things and stood up to leave.

"Are you all leaving?" I asked in a tiny voice.

My mom tipped her head to the side. "What's wrong, Stephanie?"

I bit my lip. I didn't want to sound like a little kid, but I wanted someone to stay with me. I didn't want to be here all alone.

I cleared my throat and looked up at my mom. "Can you stay?"

A look of surprise flitted across my mother's face. The two of us hadn't exactly been getting along well lately, and she was likely stunned that I had asked her to stay with me.

She nodded and quickly put her things back down. "Of course!"

My dad smiled and walked over to give me a hug and a kiss. When he straightened up, his eyes looked a little misty. He cleared his throat and patted my shoulder.

"Glad you're feeling better, Pumpkin." He mumbled.

I smiled back. "Night, Dad."

Grandma gave me hugs and kisses, too, and then they both headed for the door.

Mom patted my arm. "I'm just going to walk with them to the elevator and down to the lobby. I'll be right back."

Mom closed the door on her way out, and I leaned back against the bed. I fumbled for the bed controls and figured out how to lay the bed down a little more. Finally comfortable, I stared up at the ceiling.

My eyes started to well up with tears. I tried to stop them from falling, but a few leaked out around the edges anyway. Frustrated, I threw my arm over my eyes and rubbed furiously, but that only made me wince in pain when I pushed against the bridge of my nose.

I felt like my world was spinning out of control right now. I wanted to be better. I wanted to look normal. I wanted to be back at Carlos's laughing and joking and getting ready to eat dessert. Most of all, I wanted Carlos's arms wrapped around me.

I looked over at the phone that sat on my nightstand table. I wanted to call Carlos more than anything. I searched around my room for a clock, but I couldn't find one. It was dark outside, but I had no idea what time it was. 9:00? Midnight? 2 am?

I bit my lip as my hand reached for the phone. Should I risk it? I picked it up and held it gently in my hand. It was Sunday night. What if I woke up Carlos's parents? They probably wouldn't appreciate that very much. Surely his dad had to work tomorrow.

I hung up the receiver, but kept my hand on it. Taking a deep breath, I picked it up again. This time I quickly dialed his number before I could talk myself out of it.

"Hello?" a gruff voice answered.

Oh no! It _was_ Carlos's dad. And he _did_ sound like he'd been sleeping. My heart sank. Crap! I hoped they would forgive me for this.

"Hello? Who is this?" he asked, his voice becoming a little louder as he woke up.

"Mr. Manoso? This is Stephanie. I'm so sorry to wake you. I just wanted to talk to Carlos if I could. I don't have a clock in my room here, and I didn't know what time it was. I'm so sorry if I woke you…" I spoke in a jumbled rush, trying to apologize and explain why I was calling.

"Stephanie?" Mr. Manoso interrupted.

"Yes."

I could hear someone talking in the background, and then Mrs. Manoso came on the line. "Stephanie? Is that you, dear?"

"Yes, it's me. I'm so sorry to wake you all up. I just wanted to talk to Carlos if I could. I can't find a clock in my room here, so I didn't know if it would be too late. If he's sleeping, can you just tell him that I called?"

"Hold on, dear. I know he'll want to talk to you, and I doubt that he's sleeping. But if he is, I'll wake him up. He'd never forgive me if I made him miss your call!"

I could hear her shuffling down the hallway. She knocked lightly and then called, "Carlos?"

I could hear a muffled reply.

"Stephanie is on the phone."

She must have passed Carlos the phone, because the next sound that I heard was, "Babe?"

As soon as I heard his voice, I felt a huge smile plaster itself across my face.

"Hey, Batman!" I whispered.

"Hey, yourself." He responded.

I twirled the phone cord around my finger. "I heard you came to see me tonight."

"Yeah, I did."

"Sorry I wasn't very good company. My parents said I was kinda out of it for a while there." I apologized.

"Not your fault. How are you feeling now?"

I shrugged. "OK, I guess. A little confused about what happened, but other than that I feel fine."

He was quiet for a minute. "You scared the crap outta me, Babe."

I smiled. "I know. I saw myself in the mirror. Very scary!"

Carlos snorted. "Not what I meant, Babe, and you know it!"

I smiled. Yeah, I did know it. We sat quietly for a few seconds until Carlos let out a yawn.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"Mmmm…" he mumbled, and I heard him roll over to check his alarm clock. "About 2:30."

I gasped. "2:30 _am_?"

"That'd be the one." He confirmed.

"Crap! I'm sorry, Carlos! I didn't realize it was so late! I'll let you go. Tell your mom and dad I'm really sorry to call so late. I just wanted to hear your voice."

"Don't be sorry. I'm glad you called. If you hadn't, I would have spent the rest of the night tossing and turning and worrying about you. Now that I know you're OK, I can finally get some sleep."

I shook my head. "You're crazy."

"Crazy about you, Babe. Go to sleep. I'll see you in a few hours, OK?"

"After school?" I asked.

"Instead of school."

I frowned. "Carlos, you can't skip school just to come and see me! I'll probably be out of here tomorrow anyhow."

"Not negotiable, Steph. I'm coming. Period. Go to sleep."

"Fine." I grumbled.

Carlos laughed at me. "Good night, Stephanie. I love you."

I grinned stupidly at the phone. "Good night, Carlos. I love you, too."

_**TBC**_


End file.
